TheCable

Enyimba FC have been defeated 1-0 by Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of the African Football League (AFL) quarter-final.

A 39th minute penalty by Yahya Jabrane made the vital difference in the game played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Sunday.

Although Wydad began as the better side, Enyimba turned the momentum around and almost took the lead early in the game through Mbaoma Chijioke’s brilliant strike which came off the crossbar.

The Moroccans took the lead shortly after Ayoub El Amloud was fouled in the penalty area, and Jabrane converted the resulting spot kick beyond Ojo Olorunleke, the Enyimba goalkeeper.

Enyimba struggled to find a leveller throughout the rest of the game as Wydad nicked an important away win advantage ahead of the tie’s second leg.

The Peoples Elephant will be hoping to upturn the encounter when they travel to the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca, Morroco, on Wednesday.

The AFL is a new continental competition created by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with support from FIFA.

Eight clubs were selected to participate in the money-spinning competition. The teams will play in a knockout format consisting of a quarter-final, semi-final and final.

Enyimba’s continental pedigree led to its selection as the sole representative from Nigeria.

The winners of the inaugural AFL will receive a prize money of $4 million.

The runner-up will get $2.8 million while the two semi-finalists will each get $1.7 million and the quarter-finalists will each earn $900,000.