This Wednesday, Enyimba will be in search for a good performance in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final against Moroccan outfit Raja de Casablanca.

Being at this stage, Enyimba are looking to be the second Nigerian club to appear at the final of this competition since Dolphins Football Club of Port-Harcourt were runners-up to AS FAR of Morocco in the 2005 edition.

The last time both sides met in the 2011 CAF Champions League group stage, the Aba Elephants won the first leg 2-0 thanks to Uche Kalu and Chidozie Johnson goals at the Aba International Stadium before a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture a fortnight later at the Stade Mohammed V.

Chairman Felix Anyansi Agwu is poised for a fifth team's continental silverware after the glory years of 2003 and 2004 when Enyimba enjoyed back to back CAF Champions League successes alongside two CAF Super Cups.

The seven-time Nigerian champions are on the run of two consecutives semi-final exits in the CAF Champions League. In 2008 against Al Alhy of Egypt and in 2011 in the hands of Wydad de Casablanca another Moroccan team.

Coach Usman Abdallah and his side will face a tough opponent in the Moroccan outfit. The Green and White from Casablanca are the CAF Confederation Cup top scoring team with 27 goals in 14 games played since the first round of qualification.

Raja enjoy a good fortune in their away games. In the six matches played outside the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, the Moroccans only lost to AS Vita (0-2) and drew (3-3) with 2016-2017 Ghanian champions Aduana Stars.

Concerning the return leg in Morocco in three weeks time, Enyimba must take in consideration that their opponents are unbeaten at home in six outings and conceded just one goal, that was in the lone draw against Mauritanian team Nouadibhou in the first round of the competition.

The team has enjoyed five outstanding wins, notably a 4-0 trash of ASEC Mimosas of Cote d'Ivoire and a 6-0 thumping of Aduana Stars.

They are also benefitting from players with quality experience; Moujcine Iajour, Ismaïl Belmaleem and Mohammed Oulhaj, were part of the team that lost to Bayern München in the final of the 2013  FIFA Club World Cup.

Also, goalkeeper Anas Zniti, alongside Badr Banoun, AbdelJalil Jbira, Zakaria Hadraf and Abdelilah Afidi featured for Morocco in the 2018 CHAN winning team.

Either AS Vita Club of Congo or Al Masry rom Egypt are the awaiting opponent in this year final.

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