Enyimba made a solid start to their CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign following a 2-0 win at home against Djoliba.
Second half goals from Isiaka Oladuntoye and Stanley Dimgba downed the Malians, and for the better part coach Paul Aigbogun will be happy with his troops' outing.
Here, then, are four thoughts on Enyimba's opening group game...
Enyimba coping just fine with Aigbogun's absences
There was some concern when Enyimba manager Paul Aigbogun was selected to lead the national Under-20 side. Combining both briefs was bound to see one or the both suffer, or so many thought. Instead, the People's Elephant look to be rolling along nicely, and once again emerged with an important result to get their group stage campaign off to a flyer. The 'experience' refrain may seem a little trite, but it plays arguably a bigger role in African interclub competitions than in those of any other continent. The manner in which a potentially huge distraction has been handled -- both in appointing the right assistants, and in managing the logistical headache of having Aigbogun shuttle back and forth every week -- speaks to Enyimba's experience.
Calabar turf proving a huge embarrassment
This is the third season since Enyimba's enforced estrangement from Aba. The last two have been spent in Calabar and so, for all intents and purposes, it is home now. This, in spite of low attendances and a general sense of apathy. However, while the two-time African champions have made the best of a sub-optimal situation, there is now a bigger problem: the playing surface at the UJ Esuene Stadium. It is, for want of a better word, a travesty. A dry, bobbly pitch makes any kind of coherent football impossible, and on Sunday it led to a barely watchable game. It is hard to see how CAF persist in approving the ground for matches. With the group stage televised, surely the powers-that-be in Abia State must see that the interminable renovation on the Enyimba Stadium needs to be sped up. The good news is that Enyimba do not play again at home in the competition for two months. That might provide enough time for the work to be wrapped up.
Personnel choices pay off
Coaches live and die by their decisions, but when it emerged that Aigbogun had opted to start Freedom Omofoman, there was some surprise. For context, the former Nigeria Under-23 international has started just one league game this term: against reigning champions Plateau United; a game in which he was largely ineffectual. Instead, he has mostly been utilised as an option off the bench to prey on tired defences. This was clearly a massive gamble, but it was one which paid off handsomely. The winger was greased lightning all game, and Djoliba were unable to keep up with him, conceding a penalty late in the second half after yet another searing run. He could have had a goal himself, but poor decision-making saw the opportunity pass. Still, it was refreshing to see him repay the faith of his manager.
Slow starts may haunt Enyimba
down the line There is a bit of a trend emerging with Enyimba this season, especially at home. It was in evidence yet again on Sunday as they struggled to get going in the first half. To their credit, they looked calmer and more measured in the second period, especially after breaking the deadlock just three minutes in. However, that penchant for starting slowly may soon land them in hot water. It may not be unconnected to the situation of the pitch, actually. And while there is something to be said for a team that invariably picks it up when it comes to the crunch, opponents can build confidence off a slow start. Djoliba finished the first half the better side, and had the opener not come so quickly after the restart it might have led to a nervy final half-hour.