Champions League: Wydad Beat Enyimba

The 11-match unbeaten run of Nigeria’s Enyimba in the CAF Champions League has been halted by Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.

MTNFootball.com reports that home team Wydad scored the match winner through substitute Pascal Angan a minute from time to give the Moroccans a slim advantage going into the Champions League semi-final second leg tie in Aba on 16 October.

Like it was against another Casablanca side Raja in a group game, Enyimba Saturday night defended from start to finish with goalkeeper Paul Godwin again posting another huge game inside a jammed Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca.

Wydad attacked from the first whistle and even thought they had opened scoring in the 16th minute when Congolese striker Fabrice Ondama shot home only for the referee to disallow it for an infringement on Enyimba defender Valentine Nwaebili.

Goalkeeper Godwin, in for first-choice Chijoke Ejiogu, was the main reason the Nigerian champions lost narrowly as he pulled several saves to deny the lively home team.

His saves included one in which he pushed for a corner a goal-bound shot from distance in the 36th minute.

He obviously had put behind him his mistake that gifted Heartland the Nigeria Federation Cup on Sunday.

Enyimba lived dangerously for most of this game in Morocco and nine minutes from time, defender Markson Ojobo cleared off the goalline after Godwin had been beaten.

Striker Uche Kalu was a lone figure upfront for the Nigerian champions, who needed 26 minutes before they would fire their first shot at the Moroccan goal through Peter Onoja.

At a time Wydad recorded 14 corners against none by Enyimba to show the measure of the pressure against the two-time African champions.

Skipper Chiedozie Johnson and Rasheed Olabiyi were booked in the first half as the Moroccans piled pressure after pressure in search of an opening goal.

And in the second half, Chinedu Udoji also got into the referee’s bad book for a late tackle.

Goalkeeper Godwin was also lucky not to be sent off in stoppage time when he handled the ball outside his box to deny Wydad a second goal.

He was lucky to get away with a yellow for what was clearly a professional foul.