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Tunisian fans attack Enyimba:
As Etoile records narrow win
Enyimba boss Felix Anyansi-Agwu has disclosed that fans of Etoile du Sahel attacked his team as well as their travelling fans just before the kick-off of the first leg final of the CAF Champions League on Saturday.
“We were attacked by the fans who threw water and stones at us when we got into the stadium and we had to seek refuge at the state box,” Anyansi said from Sousse.
This scene will bring back memories of last year’s final in Egypt when Ismaili proved to be such hostile hosts leading to at least one dead and several injuries as the Nigerians ran away with the trophy.
And in February, the Tunisians also tried to intimidate both the Super Eagles and their fans before their semifinal in the African Nations Cup.
Enyimba are aiming to be only the second team after TP Mazembe of Zaire (now DR Congo) to win the Champions Cup back to back since it began in 1964.
Meanwhile Etoile Sahel will take a slender advantage into the second leg of the African Champions League final after a 2-1 win over Enyimba in the first leg on Saturday.
But the Tunisian side may well rue the plethora of wasted chances at the Stade Olympique when the two sides collide again in Abuja next Sunday.
Both sides finished the match with 10 men as Etoile came from a goal down to beat the Nigerian club, who were the first to be reduced to 10 men after only 31 minutes.
Spurred on by a passionate full house of 25,000 at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse, Etoile enjoyed far more possession than their opponents throughout the match.
However, they were unable to deliver the killer blows against an Enyimba side reduced to ten men when Onyekachi Okonkwo was sent off for a second bookable offence.
The holders took the lead very much against the run of play in the 15th minute when Emeka Nwanna scored from close range after a good run down the right by full back Yusuf Mohammed.
Nwanna was on hand to stroke the ball home after David Tyavkase miscued his shot from inside the box.
The Etoile players protested vehemently that Nwanna was in an offside position but the Algerian referee Mohamed Benouza stood his ground.
After missing a great chance from close range, Imed Mdhebi made amends a minute before the break when he equalised from the penalty spot after Emeka Opara was brought down in the box by Obinna Nwaneri.
The home side then took the lead in the 54th minute when an unmarked Kandia Traore headed home a fine cross from the impressive Mdhebi.
The goal was a direct result of some shoddy marking by the Enyimba defence as two other Etoile players were also lining up to take advantage of Mdhebi’s cross.
The second dismissal came in the 72nd minute when Etoile’s Lotfi Sellemi was shown a direct red card for a two-footed lunge on an opponent.
Both he and Okonkwo will miss the second leg in Abuja next week.
The 2-1 scoreline probably flattered Enyimba but the Nigerians will be happy to take a vital away goal into the second leg on home territory.
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