Enugu Rangers hope they can end their losing run in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday night at FC Nouadhibou of Mauritania.
Both teams have lost their opening two Group A games in the Confederation Cup with Rangers going down 3-1 at home to Pyramids of Egypt, before they fell 4-2 at another Egyptian club Al Masry.
Rangers forward Obinna Eleje said Sunday’s clash in Nouakchott affords ‘The Flying Antelopes’ a big chance to revive their cup hopes.
“The game against Nouahibou is really going to be tough considering the fact that they have lost two games in a row and they want to win at all cost, but the fact remains that we are a good team that can win anytime and anywhere even though we are battling to win games too,” he said.
“I believe we have the qualities to come out victorious at the end.”
“It is still very possible for us to come back and qualify for the quarterfinal despite losing our last two games.
“We can also win away from home to keep us on track .
“It is not the end until the last day of the group games. Rangers are a team with so much quality.”
Coach Salisu Yusuf has had to grapple with injuries to top stars like Ifeanyi George and Ajani Ibrahim, but he has maintained a positive outlook.
“We are condemned to start winning games and I believe that our contributions to the team will start manifesting soon,” he assured.
“Our opponents are champions of their league and we respect them for that, but we shall approach the game as if it was a cup final.
“Despite injury
worries, we can still walk tall at the end of the encounter.”
The coach of the home team, Santiago Martinez, will count on the experience of goalkeeper, Brahim Souleymane and the goals from Hemeya Tanjy, Mahamane Cisse and Boubacar Bagili, Sidi Abdoullah Touda, Mohamed Abdellahi, Mandala Konte and Jacob Ezechiel Deponde to record a famous win.
The Mauritanian champions celebrated their two decades of existence recently and were one of the four teams who dropped from the more prestigious CAF Champions League.
Kick-off is 8pm on Sunday at the Stade Municipal in Nouakchott.