CAF Champions League: We’ve put Wydad loss behind–Lobi captain
This might not be the best of time for Lobi Stars in the 2018 CAF Champions League after the Makurdi side fell at home to visiting Wydad Casablanca of Morocco at the weekend and Captain Cletus Itodo that the defeat is now in the past as they are looking ahead of the return leg on February 12 in Morocco.
Itodo, who sat out the match at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, told Sportinglife.ng that it was a defeat too much to bear for the team. “We are yet to believe we lost the match at home because we conceded two penalties but our goalkeeper managed to catch one of them. We also had chances but their goalkeeper
stood between us and the goals. But we cannot continue to dwell on this defeat as we have to put it behind us and look ahead. We are not thinking about our qualification from the group as our target is to become the second Nigeria side to lift the trophy after Enyimba did it twice, Itodo said.
Taking a cue from his captain, midfielder, Dare Ojo believes their second leg tie would serve as revenge for the loss they suffered at home against the Moroccan side.
“It was indeed a painful loss for us but we are not going to lose hope as we are also going to pay them back with their own coin when we battle them on February 12. I am confidence that we can do the same for them and hope to gain back our place in the group with the sole aim of advancing to the last four of the lucrative continental league,” Ojo enthused.
It was Mohamed Nahiri’s 20th minute penalty that gave Wydad Casablanca the victory at the weekend and as it is Lobi Stars will be hoping to turn the tide when they visit Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium for the return leg tie on February 12.
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Lobi Stars are third in Group A with three points from three games behind Wydad and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns who have six points each from same number of matches while Asec Mimosa of Cote d’ivoire has same number of points with Lobi Stars but the Ivorian side had conceded more goals than Lobi Stars.