Enyimba, Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup, bolstered their chances of advancing from the group stage with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Mozambican side Black Bulls.
The People’s Elephant delivered a dominant performance at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Sunday, scoring three goals in the second half.
Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye was among the goalscorers, marking his first strike for the club.
The Aba-based side opened the scoring in the 6th minute through Joseph Atule, who capitalized on a defensive error.
However, Black Bulls responded swiftly, equalizing just six minutes later after a mix-up in Enyimba’s defence, as Ejiata Ifoni poked the ball past goalkeeper Ozoemena Ani to make it 1-1.
The 9-time Nigerian champions regained their lead two minutes before half-time, when Ifeanyi Ihemelekwe unleashed a stunning volley past the stranded Black Bulls goalkeeper to restore Enyimba’s lead.
The second half saw more of the same dominance from the Nigerian champions. Enyimba could have extended their advantage earlier, but Atule’s wastefulness in front of goal kept the visitors in the game.
Brown Ideye scores first goal for Enyimba
The introduction of Brown Ideye in the 60th minute proved pivotal.
The former West Bromwich Albion forward made an immediate impact, scoring six minutes after coming on.
Receiving a well-weighted pass from Atule, Ideye expertly rounded the Black Bulls goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball into the net, making it 3-1.
This marked Ideye’s first goal for Enyimba since joining the club in December.
Joseph Atule redeemed himself for his earlier misses by adding Enyimba’s fourth goal, sealing an impressive first win in the competition for the team.
