CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Al Merreikh coach Gomes warns team ahead of return leg in Nigeria

The head coach of Sudanese Premier League reigning champions, Al Merreikh has called on his players to work hard ahead of their return leg in the 2020/2021 Total CAF Champions League tie against Enyimba.

Al Merreikh stopped the Nigerian giants 3-0 in the first leg of the second round preliminary stage on December 23rd in Khartoum.

“We should not take it for granted that the second leg will be an easy task. We need to keep working hard to prepare well for the second leg,” said coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa.

In the first leg striker Saifeldin Bakhit netted a hat-trick earned Al Merreikh to brighten the Red Devils’ hopes of making it to the group stage of Africa’s biggest competition for clubs. The Nigerian League champions Enyimba will now host Al Merreikh in the return leg in Aba between January 5-6th.

Another Sudanese Premier League side Al Hilal who won their first leg match 1-0 away to Ghana’s Asante Kotoko also have high chances of qualifying for the Total CAF Champions League group stage.

The other two teams from the CECAFA region still in contention in the competition Simba SC (Tanzania) and Gor Mahia (Kenya) will have to be at their best to recover from first leg defeats. Simba lost 1-0 away to FC Platinum of Zimbabwe, while Gor Mahia suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat away to Algeria’s CR Belouizdad.