Abu Azeez unsurprised by Enyimba’s away win against Djoliba

Former Enyimba’s Abu Azeez has disclosed that he was not surprised by the performance of the People’s Elephant who defeated Djoliba AC in Mali to brighten their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Caf Confederation Cup.

Usman Abdallah’s men were on the verge of crashing out of the competition at the group stages but Farouk Mohammed’s 90th-minute strike changed all that at the Stade Modibo Keita on Sunday.

Azeez who was part of Enyimba’s Caf Champions League squad in 2016 said that even though many people wrote the team off because of their poor away record in their previous two matches, he knew that something different was in the offing in Bamako.

“I was not surprised at all that Enyimba defeated Djoliba in Bamako last weekend,” Azeez told Goal.

“They showed from my discussions with some of them that they were ready to spill blood in their attempt to get a good result in Bamako. They told me that a defeat was not among their options as it was their desire to qualify for the quarter final.

“They matched their words with action on the pitch and I can only say that I am happy for them. Nigerian clubs have suffered in recent times and it was a relief that we got Enyimba to put smiles back to our faces.

“Many people wrote them off after their off-colour performance against Williamsville AC which they off-colour beat 1-0 in Port Harcourt but lost 2-0 in the second leg in Abidjan. They were told all sorts of things but I still believe in them because I know that Nigerian teams, when pushed to the wall, will always respond.”

The former Warri Wolves attacker warned that the job has not been completed as they still have a key fixture against CARA Brazzaville of Congo which they must win to be sure of qualification.

“I want to appeal to them that they are yet to qualify for the next stage of the competition and they must treat their next opponents with respect if they do not want to be surprised,” he added.

“They have had their work seriously reduced with the win in Bamako but they must finish off CARA at home to be sure they are in the quarter-final. They must treat their last game with caution and have respect for CARA if they do not want to be shocked.”

Enyimba are second in Group C with nine points from five games and they will up against the group leaders, CARA on August 29. Williamsville AC and Djoliba who are the other two in the group are third and fourth with seven points and four points respectively.