Rivers United coach Stanley Eguma said his team will be courageous when they take a slim 2-1 advantage in a CAF Champions League clash to Morocco against reigning kings Wydad Casablanca.
Extended Highlights
— Rivers United FC (@RiversUnitedFC) October 9, 2022
Rivers United 2-1 Wydad AC
⚽ Malachi Ohawume 34', Paul Acquah 53' || Bouly Sambou 32'#TotalEnergiesCAFCL || #RIVWAC pic.twitter.com/wcLrG3ZDNd
Malachi Ohawume and Paul Acquah struck in quick succession to help Rivers United come from behind to secure a 2-1 first-leg advantage against Wydad in a CAF Champions League first preliminary round tie on Sunday.
The overall winners of this tie will advance to the money-spinning group stage of the competition.
Eguma admitted it will be tough to defend this advantage in Morocco, but his team should not be written off just yet.
“It’s tight but i am very optimistic, it’s a game of football. If you look at the standard of the game (Sunday), Wydad AC were not far better than us,” he said.
“All we need do is to summon courage and then make our tactical plans on how to play them in Morocco. It’s a difficult terrain but its football, it’s not mathematics.”
“I know a lot of people will write us off but I want to let you know that it is not yet over.
“Within us, we know that we have a big fight to do and am assuring you that we will not go there to sleep but to work and also put them under severe pressure to see that we get passage through to the group stage.”
On Sunday, Bouly Sambou put Wydad AC ahead at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt after 32 minutes, but the game turned when Ohawume finished off an assist from Nyima Nwagua just two minutes after the restart to level scores.
Ghanaian Paul Acquah put up a five-star performance and capped it with the match winner in the 53rd minute, when he fired into the top left corner of the net a beautiful set up by Morice Chukwu.
