Nigeria’s two remaining representatives in the 2019/20 CAF Champions League (CAFCL) and Confederation Cup (CC) Enyimba and Rangers had their hope of progression hanging after unimpressive results at the weekend.
Enyimba were held 0-0 by Sudanese side Al-Hilal Omdurman in their Champions League first leg, first round encounter on Sunday afternoon in Aba, South East Nigeria.
The visitors were reduced to ten men after just twenty minutes when Hamid Nassir was shown a straight red card for lashing out at Enyimba left-back Daniel Darkwah but the Sudanese were able to build an impregnable defensive wall for the remaining seventy minutes.
When Enyimba did break their wall, attackers Stanley Dimgba, Reuben Bala and Martins Usule missed gilt edge scoring chances leaving the second leg in a fortnight with all to play for.
Rangers International returned to the country on Sunday morning after losing 1-2 to AS Pelican of Gabon in their first leg, first round game in Libreville on Saturday.
The Flying Antelopes were undone by the concession of two goals in the first half, including an own goal by Senegalese import Pape Ousmane but new signing Nnamdi Egbujor’s spectacular strike left them with some rays of hope for the return leg.
Rangers will host Pelican in the return leg at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu in a fortnight’s time.