Two-time African champions Enyimba of Aba are facing early elimination from the CAF Champions League after losing their away leg to Sudan’s Al Merrikh on Wednesday.
The Aba Elephant have a mountain to climb after going down 3-0 to the Sudanese side in Omdurman in the first leg of their first round tie.
For the 2003 and 2004 champions to stay in the competition and retain a chance to reach the lucrative group stage, they must win by a four-goal margin in Aba in the return leg.
Saif Terry scored all three goals as the Nigerian side succumbed to the relentless pressure from the experienced continental campaigners.
Terry shocked Enyimba with an early goal, shooting his side ahead in the seventh minute with the Nigerians yet to settle into the game.
Enyimba fought hard to get the equaliser and had good spells in the game, but it was the hosts who scored again just before half-time, with Terry getting his second of the afternoon in the 44th minute.
Any hopes of an Enyimba fightback were almost totally extinguished in the 89th minute as Terry completed his hat-trick and made it 3-0 to Al Merrikh.
Enyimba now have to win big in Aba to prevent them from joining Plateau United and Kano Pillars as Nigerian teams who have already crashed out of continental competitions this season.
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