Enyimba head coach Finidi George says his charges realise they have to up the ante to secure victory against Sunshine Stars in Sunday’s Nigeria Premier Football League match-day 31 clash at the Akure Township Stadium.
The former Nigerian winger reckons their hosts, who are feeling the relegation heat in 16th position on the log with 35 points, will approach the tie with tails up, but added that the People’s Elephant would gun for a win in Akure.
“The team is aware of what is at stake on Sunday. We will approach the match with all seriousness. We want to win it by playing good football,” the former Real Betis star said in a post on Enyimba’s official Instagram page on Thursday.
Sunshine are smarting from Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Sporting Lagos, where the Owena Babes put up a remarkable performance but were only unlucky to miss out on a share of the spoils. The Nigerian champions secured the same margin of victory at home to Heartland in an Oriental derby, which saw the two-time CAF Champions League winners move up to second place on the log with 51 points, three points adrift of Enugu Rangers in pole position.
Enyimba were 1-0 winners in the corresponding tie, a match-day 11 fixture at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba, where Chijioke Mbaoma’s late first-half goal made the difference.
A win for Enyimba will see them level up on points with Rangers should the Flying Antelopes falter in their arduous trip to Rivers United on Sunday, while a win for Sunshine takes them farther away from the dreaded relegation zone.
