Enyimba International have crashed out of this years CAF Champions League after losing over two legs to Sudanese Club, Al-Merrikh in the first round.
Enyimba lost the first leg 3-0 in Omdurman and despite winning 2-1 in the second leg in Aba on Wednesday (January 6), the People’s Elephant crashed out 4-2 on aggregate.
Merrikh started the second at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba on the front foot and took the lead in the 8th minute through Saifeldin Malik.
Malik netted all three goals in the first leg in Omdurman but the Enyimba defence again failed to respond to the obvious danger posed by the attacker.
Enyimba had to score five goals to progress and duly pushed forward.
They equalised in the 14th minute through Mbaoma who prodded home a rebound to give the hosts hope of a stirring comeback.
Early in the second half, those hopes were heightened as Enyimba won a penalty after Samad Kadiri was upended in the box.
Mbaoma converted to give the hosts the lead for the first time on the day but that was the best they could muster as Merrikh defended resolutely to close out the win on aggregate.
The result means that no Nigerian club will be present in the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition.
The second of the country’s representatives, Plateau United, were earlier beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Tanzanian club, Simba.
