The ill treatment meted to
Enyimba FC players by Etoile Du Sahel of Tunisia was a ploy to distract Enyimba in the group stage of the CAF Champions League, Enyimba’s top scorer Mfom Udoh said.
The sensational striker made the assertion in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Lagos.
Udoh, who was reacting to the outcome of the match with the Tunisian side, said that Enyimba had an ugly experience during the qualifiers in Tunisia.
The current highest goal scorer in the CAF Champions League with seven goals helped Enyimba to the group stage when he scored a sensational hat-trick in the first leg of the competition.
The former Akwa United striker scored 23 goals for the People’s Elephant last season to emerge the league’s highest goal scorer.
“The hostility meted out to us by our host is a ploy to distract our team from winning the crucial encounter.
“The Tunisia game is over now and we are happy that we won which is the most important thing.
“We scaled through, in spite of the antics of the Tunisians, what happened are antics and distractions to make us lose focus which almost happened.
“What we need to do now is to prepare well ahead of other tough matches, football is a challenge and we want to make sure that the cup comes back to Nigeria.
“We are already challenged and we are on the right track now, it is our target to return the cup which had eluded us. We are working hard to achieve that,’’ he said.
On Enyimba’s prospect of retaining the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) top slot in the current season, Udoh said the club was on course to achieving the feat again.
“We have what it takes to retain the NPFL; we must match our records even to do well in the continental. We have to take it from home where charity begins.
“We are aware of our status at home and abroad and we will ensure that we do well domestically.’’
Udoh added that he might be plying his trade in the North African club but that his task was to ensure that Enyimba had something to show at the end of the season.
According to the Media Officer of Enyimba, Farriel Alaputa, the team was badly treated by their host, prompting a petition to CAF on the matter.
Alaputa said that no Etoile du Sahel representative was on ground to receive the team except officials of the Nigerian embassy who assisted them.
“ The threat of violence was so high that Enyimba officials were on the bench during the game as that was the only safe place they could hide.
“In spite of that, rocks, iron rods and plastic bottles were rained down on the roof of the bench throughout.
“During half time, the match officials and match commissioner were victims of the stoning and they had to retreat to the bench of Etoile,’’ he said.
Enyimba FC, two-time winner of the CAF Champions League, is the nation’s only representative left in the continental competition this season.
Other Nigerian representatives, including Akwa United, Nasarawa United and Warri Wolves crashed out before the group stages.
However, basking in the euphoria of their remarkable victory over the reigning CAF Confederation Cup winners, Enyimba got what they did not bargained for in Tunisia.