El-Kanemi Warriors battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Dadjè FC of Benin Republic in a tense CAF Confederation Cup encounter. Both teams showed their strengths in a match that kept fans on edge of the seats from start to finish.
The away side took the lead in the 29th minute, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack after a missed opportunity by the Warriors’ attackers. Despite this early setback, El-Kanemi Warriors remained resilient, and continued to push for an equalizer which finally came in the dying moments of the game when Gimba S. Ajiji found the back of the net in the 95th minute, rescuing a crucial draw for the home side.
After the match, Futball Naija spoke with El-Kanemi Warriors’ central midfielder, Adamu Mohammed, who shared his thoughts on the game. Adamu noted the stark difference between playing in the CAF Confederation Cup and the Nigerian League. “Honestly, there’s a huge difference between playing in the CAF Confederation Cup and the Nigerian League. Our opponents were very aggressive, unlike what we’re used to facing in the local league, so it’s a different ball game entirely,” he explained.
When asked if the lack of Grade A matches before their CAF Confederation Cup debut affected the team’s cohesion, Adamu acknowledged that it might have played a role. “We just resumed not long ago, and there are some new faces in the squad. We didn’t really play any Grade A friendlies to get used to each other, but I believe with this game, we are beginning to understand one another. We can go to Benin Republic and get all 3 points. By the time we return, we’ll be ready to face any team because the understanding between the guys will be there,” he said confidently.
Adamu also spoke about the challenge of using the Remo Stars Stadium as their home ground instead of the El-Kanemi Stadium in Maiduguri, Borno State. “We missed our fans playing in another stadium as our home instead of El-Kanemi Stadium. There’s a kind of motivation that you get with your supporters when you play at your actual home ground, and we didn’t get that, but this is not an excuse for us. We did all we could, playing our best, but we didn’t get the result we wanted. By God’s grace, we will go there and fight for all 3 points,” he concluded.
With the return leg set for next week in Benin Republic, El-Kanemi Warriors will be looking to build on this performance and secure a victory to advance in the CAF Confederation Cup.
