Enyimba lost their African Football League first-leg match 1-0 to Wydad Casablanca at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Sunday and will now have to win in Morocco next weekend to get through to the semi-finals.
The only goal of the match came from a first-half penalty, with Yahya Jabrane expertly converting from the spot past Enyimba captain and goalkeeper, Ojo Olorunleke, in the 39th minute.
Coach Finidi George was back on the bench after national team duties with the Super Eagles, and he started a strong 11, which included breakout Flying Eagles midfielder Daniel Daga.
Enyimba created some chances, but they were tepid in the final third and rushed their chances when they came.
But it was the visitors that added salt to Enyimba’s wound in added time when Alalibo Somiari was shown a red card after a last-man tackle on Mountassir Lahtimi, after Chinedu Chilekwu gave away the ball. Somiari was shown a yellow card, but after a VAR review, referee Alhadi Allaou Mahamat upgraded the card to a red.
Two-time African champions Enyimba now face an uphill task against the North Africans in the reverse fixture in Morocco on Wednesday.
If Enyimba win on aggregate, they automatically advance to the semi-finals of the maiden edition of the competition, but if they crash out, they bow out of the money-spinning tournament with $1 million.
