Nigerian champions do battle in Ilorin

Football excitement will reach its climax on the local scene this afternoon, as the league champion, Bayelsa United, will take on the Federation Cup holders Enyimba FC at the ongoing Glo Super 4 competition.

This could be considered a match of the old foes going by the antecedents of both teams at the just concluded season. Bayelsa beat Enyimba both home and away on their way to winning the league for the first time. But at the semi-final of the Federation Cup, Enyimba bundled the league champions out, which started a run culminating in a four-match losing streak for the Bayelsa side. But Bayelsa bounced back from their doldrums by beating Enyimba again in the Charity Cup- a match between the league champions and the Federation Cup winner, and from then on, they've remained unbeatable, walloping Palmeiro de Augusto of Angola 4-0 in the CAF Cup.

Enyimba will fall

Would the two-time African champion Enyimba stamp their authority on Bayelsa today, or would the Confederation Cup campaigner confirm their superiority over Enyimba again?

Kola Awe, Bayelsa's captain, attributed their 0-0 score line on match day in the pre-season tourney to fatigue, which he expected the team would have overcome by the time they play Enyimba today.

"We would have been well rested for Enyimba," the captain said, he also said the team will leave Ilorin with the N5 million cheque for the winner.

In the second match of the day, Warri Wolves who played 0-0 in the opening match against Bayelsa, will take on Heartland. But Coach Lawrence Akpokona said they are not after the result but its an avenue to put his boys in shape, and that he is taking the Super 4 as a mere pre-season preparation for his club. The two teams won their home matches against each other in the regular season, Heartland winning 2-0 at Owerri, and Wolves taking the day in Warri 2-1.