CAF Champions League: Warri Wolves lose to visiting Sudanese side El-Merriekh

Warri(Delta) – Warri Wolves Football Club on Sunday lost 0-1 to visiting El-Merriekh FC of Sudan in a 2016 CAF Champions League second round first leg match at the Warri Township Stadium.

The lone goal was scored in the 19th minute by Sudanese striker Abdu Iganer, following a counter-attacking move. Efforts by Warri Wolves to equalize were thwarted by the visiting goalkeeper, as well as his defenders. Peter Nieketien, coach of Warri Wolves, however said the result was not too bad for his players to overturn in Sudan in the return leg. “If they can score here, we can also go there and upturn the result and if we can work on our agility, we can get a good result.

 “The goal we conceded was as a result of a moment of loss of concentration. But I have watched El-Merriekh, and they play from the flanks. “This means that if you are playing with them, you have to increase your speed and work rate. “However, it’s not a bad game and not a bad result,” he said. On the other hand, the coach of El-Merriekh, Lukeman Amar, commended his players for the away win and said that they had studied Warri Wolves and knew their weak points.

“I told my players to try not to concede a goal, because we were going to rely on counter-attack, and it paid off. “But we were supposed to score up to three goals. However, goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye made great saves and I hope that my players will finish the work at home when Warri Wolves come for the return leg.

 “Warri Wolves is a big club in Nigeria. I know they lost a lot of good players, like Gbolahan Salami and others. So, they are under pressure now. “The team has not done what the fans expected from it this season,” he said.