Bayelsa United hopes to make bold statement of their title credentials on Saturday when they take on How Mine in Bulawayo on Saturday in the second round of the Orange Caf Confederations Cup.
The ‘Restoration Boys’ believe they are capable of overcoming the wits of the lowly-rated Zimbabwean outfit, through to the next round of the competition, where they will be pitted against one of the Champions League sides relegated to Africa’s second tier club competition in the final qualifying round.
“We believe that we are capable of winning this trophy because we are better equipped to face the rest of the continent,” George Ameli, Bayelsa United’s media officer is quoted as saying on cafonline.com.
The last season’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) third-placed side defeated Kondzo of Congo 2-0 on aggregate to reach this stage of the competition, while How Mine defeated St.Michel of Seychelles 6-4 on aggregate.
No Nigerian club has ever won the Confederations Cup. 3SC of Ibadan won the defunct CAF Cup in 2004, but the competition alongside the Cup Winners Cup was phased out to pave way for the Confederations Cup.
Meanwhile the goalkeeper crises that had rocked the Bayelsa State-owned side during the weekend has been put to bed with the quick recoveries of Gambo Gideon and Kazeem Yekeen ahead of the penultimate round tie, reports MTNFootball.com.
Both goalkeepers pulled out of Sunday’s Glo Premier League game against Gombe United with different sorts of injuries. Gideon suffered dizziness, while Yekeen who replaced him had a hamstring problem.
The goalkeeping duo are now set to feature against the Zimbabwean outfit on Saturday.
Former Golden Eaglets skipper Fortune Chukwudi will be sidelined from the encounter, after pulling up injured during training.
The first batch of the 45-man strong Bayelsa United delegation departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja Wednesday by 1pm for Zimbabwe.
The second batch will fly out Thursday.
