Enugu Rangers arrived Tunisia on Thursday, battle- ready to secure a qualification ticket in the Confederation Cup against CS Sfaxien.
A fortnight ago, Rangers defeated Sfaxien 1-0 in Enugu and will be hoping to build on their victory by avoiding a defeat in Tunisia.
Nigeria’s surviving representative in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup arrived in the Tunisian town of Sfax with fifteen players, seven technical officials, six management officials and five government representatives among the contingent that checked into the team’s Sangho Hotel, Syphax, on Thursday.
The technical adviser of ‘The Flying Antelopes’, Okey Emordi is filled with positive expectations ahead of the match, as the Nigerian side hopes to make the money- spinning group stage of the competition.
“We thank God for a very safe trip down here. We have not come here to count the number of beautiful buildings but to fight for the group stage ticket of 2013 CAF Confederation Cup. It will be difficult but we have prepared well to do a good representation of Nigeria,” said Emordi.
CS Sfaxien are the newly- crowned champions of the Tunisian League. Players and staff of the club were in a merry- go- round mood, hosted to a grand reception that lasted into the late hours of Thursday at the same hotel where Rangers are lodged.
Godwin Ayalogu, captain of the side said: “We are not intimidated by the record of the Tunisians. Yes, they were crowned Tunisian champions only yesterday but on Sunday, it will be a different ball game. We are here to spill our blood to pick the group stage ticket.
The duo of Chisom Egbuchulam and Emmanuel Daniel, who missed traveling with the team due to visa hitches are expected to join the team on Friday evening. The venue for the match is the Stade Taieb Mhiri Syphax, where the team will be acclimatizing ahead of the match.
