It is the second time the club from southeastern city Aba
have faced such a deficit in the elite African competition, and are hoping for
a more successful outcome.
Enyimba suffered a 4-1 loss away to ASEC Mimosas of the
Ivory Coast in a 2002 qualifier and a 3-1 home victory was insufficient to
avoid elimination.
Here, AFP Sport puts the spotlight on five intriguing return
matches as clubs seek overall victories, group places, and a minimum payout of
$550,000 (450,000 euros).
Enyimba v MerrikhGhana-born Enyimba midfielder Farouk
Mohammed has not given up hope of a spectacular second leg comeback that would
require his team to score at least three times to have any chance of survival.
“The heavy loss we suffered in Sudan comes once in a while.
Even the strongest clubs sometimes suffer such defeats. Now, so much depends on
how we react to it,” he said.
A 3-0 victory for Enyimba after 90 minutes would take the
tie straight to a penalty shootout, but if Merrikh score just once in Nigeria,
the hosts will need five goals to survive.
Wydad v MalienStade Malien of Mali take a tenuous 1-0 lead
to Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, who have won the Champions League, finished
runners-up, and been semi-finalists twice in the past five seasons.
The Bamako outfit were the last west African club to win a
CAF competition, defeating Entente Setif of Algeria on penalties in the 2009
CAF Confederation Cup final.
But Stade have fared poorly in the Champions League, never
reaching the group stage, and will rely heavily on star forward Mamadou
Coulibaly if they are to shock Wydad.
Primeiro v ChiefsFamed South African club Kaizer Chiefs have
won only three of 14 matches this season in all competitions, and one of those
successes was away to PWD Bamenda in the Champions League preliminary round.
That result will offer some hope to coach Gavin Hunt and his
underperforming team, which includes Nigeria goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, Kenya
midfielder Anthony Akumu and Zimbabwe forward Khama Billiat.
Primeiro Agosto of Angola, who forced a 0-0 draw in Soweto
last month, have been inconsistent Champions League participants, reaching the
2018 semi-finals, but falling at the first hurdle the following year.
Simba v PlatinumSimba of Tanzania caused the biggest shock
of the preliminary round by ousting Plateau United of Nigeria thanks to a
first-leg goal from Zambian Clatous Chama in west Africa.
One round later and the situation is reversed as they must
overcome a 1-0 deficit when they host Platinum of Zimbabwe in Dar es Salaam,
where spectators will be permitted despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Platinum have reached the group stage in the last two
seasons and will be encouraged by the form of Perfect Chikwende, the first leg
match-winner.
Sfaxien v MouloudiaA seven-minute Samy Frioui brace has
tilted this north African showdown in favour of Mouloudia Alger of Algeria as
they take a 2-0 lead to CS Sfaxien of Tunisia.
Frioui has scored three goals in Africa this season, one
less than Firas Chaouat, whose total includes a hat-trick away to Mlandege of
Zanzibar in the previous round.
Both clubs have experienced African success with Mouloudia
winning the 1976 African Cup of Champions Clubs (forerunner to the Champions
League) and Sfaxien lifting the Confederation Cup three times and the CAF Cup
once.