Defeat to Al-Merrikh can spur Enyimba onto good run, says Farouk Mohammed

Enyimba midfielder Farouk Mohammed believes the People’s Elephant 3-0 Champions League defeat away against Al-Merrikh was a good learning experience and suggests that could propel the team onto a good run.

Saif Terry’s hat-trick proved to be too much for the two-time African champions in the first round, first leg clash played inside Khartoum’s Al-Merrikh Stadium in Omdurman.

Although Enyimba’s chances of progressing to the group stage are slim, the Ghanaian who captained the team in the absence of Austin Oladapo, is of the view that if lessons against the Sudanese giants are learned, it could inspire the team to a good run on both the domestic and continental fronts.

“This kind of results come once in a while. Even the biggest teams sometimes suffer such defeats, but it is all about how you handle it,” Mohammed told Enyimba website.

“We are experienced players and we know if we continue to believe in ourselves and not dwell so much on it, it can motivate us to go on a good run.

“The coaches have been speaking to us, counselling us to remain optimistic, and if every player can handle it that way, then we can bounce back easily.”

Fatai Osho’s men commence their 2020-21 Nigeria Professional Football League campaign with a local derby against Abia Warriors on Tuesday, and the Mohammed wants his side to start building their poise from that duel.

“Abia Warriors is not an easy game but we have to start from there,” he added.

“We have to start to build our confidence and return to winning ways because the league will be very competitive this season.”

Osho’s team must defeat Didier Gomes Da Rosa’s side by four goals in the second leg billed for Aba in 2021 to stand a chance of progressing to the group phase. Failure to do that would see them demoted to the Caf Confederation Cup.

In the previous decade, Enyimba enjoyed success on the continent after defeating Egypt’s Ismaily to become the first Nigerian team to win the Caf Champions League before going ahead to defend their title the following year.