Late goal against Orlando Pirates sends Enyimba to CAF Confed Cup quarter-finals

ENYIMBA have qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates of South Africa.

With the Nigerians facing elimination on Wednesday night, Cyril Olisema scored the all-important goal that took them through in the fifth minute of added time.

Knowing that they had to win after an unprecedented 10pm kick-off in Aba, Enyimba showed their attacking intent from the start.

The People’s Elephant were however not coordinated in their play and they hardly troubled Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands for most of the first half.

Indeed, it was the South Africans who almost took the lead early in the game after Vincent Pule hit the Enyimba crossbar with a free-kick from around 30 yards out in the 13th minute.

Enyimba’s only real chance of the first half did not come until the 39th minute when Sandilands made his first save.

The two-time African champions should have got their noses in front 20 minutes into the second half but Super Eagles winger Anayo Iwuala, unmarked in the Pirates box, sent his shot high and wide.

Iwuala then headed over from close range in the 89th minute and Enyimba had a goal disallowed for offside moments later as it appeared the Nigerians were heading out of the competition.

But, in the fifth of six added minutes, Enyimba went from bottom of their group to the top when Olisema tucked home Iwuala’s low cross.

Pirates qualified along with Enyimba as both clubs had nine points from their six group games, while North Africans ES Setif of Algeria with eight points and Ahli Benghazi of Libya with seven points were eliminated.