Orlando Pirates gave themselves and beleagured South African soccer a timely boost at the FNB Stadium on Satuday night when they beat Nigeria’s embattled Enyimba 1-0 to qualify for the semifinals of the lucrative African Champions League.
Ironically, it was due to a former Nigerian international and Enyimba-midfield stalwart, Onyekachi Okonkwo, whose inspired 25m curling shot in the 30th minute ensured victory.
The game, before a modest crowd at the FNB Stadium, was not without pre-match drama after Enyimba arrived in South Africa less than 24 hours before the kick-off and played as though they were badly in need of a good night’s sleep.
Beaten, bothered and bemused, the Enyimba players struggled to find a teammate from throw-ins. Pirates outpaced, out-manouvered and out-thought their listless opponents and might easily have won by a margin of four or five goals. While Pirates flirted with danger, Enyimba substitute Sunday Mba almost equalised with a snap 30m shot in the 80th minute that had recently-signed Buccaneers goalkeeper Avril Phadi at full-stretch.
And it needed only a draw for the Nigerians to replace Pirates in the semifinals, which commence in two weeks time. – Sapa