Enyimba will be without suspended captain and leading scorer Augustine Oladapo when they play host to South African club Orlando Pirates on Wednesday in a crucial CAF Confederation Cup group game.
The People’s Elephant qualification hinges on a final-round victory against their South African opponents, who are still unbeaten in the group stage.
Only a win would guarantee the two-time African champions a place at the quarter-finals.
“I knew this group would go down to the wire. We must collect maximum points against Pirates to keep alive our hopes of becoming the first winners from Nigeria,” said Enyimba coach Fatai Osho.
Entente Setif of Algeria host Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya in the other Group A fixture and all four clubs have a chance of reaching the knockout stage.
Enyimba hope the dribbling skills of rising star Anayo Iwuala can help unlock a Pirates defence that has conceded only one goal in eight qualifying and group matches.
Oladapo had grabbed the goal on that day, but it could not prevent the Nigerian visitors losing 2-1 in Soweto with Tshegofatso Mabasa snatching a late winner.
The Nigerian Professional Football League giants have won their last four CAF home matches, all by one-goal margins, and a 1-0 win or a two-goal victory will ensure they finish above Pirates on head-to-head record.
