Shehu Dikko Commends Enyimba After CAF Champions League Group Stage Qualification

The League Management Company chairman, Shehu Dikko has commended Enyimba after progressing to this year's CAF champions league group stage- becoming the first Nigerian club to achieve such feat in the last four years.

The Nigerian league champions were beaten 3-0 by Etoile du Sahel on Wednesday at the Olympic

Stadium in Sousse, but progressed on penalties after both teams had played 3-3 on aggregate.

Enyimba managed to keep the Tunisians off their radar for only 40 minutes in the encounter before the sublime set piece was delivered finally in the 41st minute of the encounter.

"Enyimba have shown the Nigerian spirit today after they qualified at the expense of Etoile du Sahel. Even though they were three goals down but they never collapsed or gave up,"writes Dikko.

"They could have scored the away goal at the 86th minute to win the match but they couldn’t convert the chance that came their way. Even though they were two goals down from the first two penalties in the penalty shootout still they never gave up and they clawed their way back."

"They were presented with the opportunity to close up the tie with a penalty conversion in their sixth penalty to win and they lost it but they never surrendered and they got the result by the seventh penalty to win the match."

"There is no better way to demonstrate the Nigerian spirit and this is how we use to know Nigerian teams. Enyimba have been able to revive our zeal and commitment to our fatherland. I want to congratulate Enyimba and to all lovers of Nigerian football. May this be the beginning of the turnaround to our international football performances."

Enyimba have thus become the first Nigerian club after Sunshine Stars in 2012 to qualify for the Caf Champions’ League group stage and they are joined in the last eight by Entete Setif (Algeria), AS Vita Club (D R Congo), Al Ahly (Egypt), Zamalek (Egypt),  ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’ Ivoire), Zesco United (Zambia) and Wydad Club (Morocco).