Enyimba striker Victor Mbaoma acknowledges the Aba Elephants face a tricky tie against Rahimo in the CAF Champions League preliminary round but insists they feel ready and know they must “go all out” to leave Burkina Faso with a favourable result.

Enyimba are at Rahimo for the 1st leg of the encounter at the Stade Wobi on Sunday, 29 November.

The 8-time Nigerian champions faced the exact same opponent at this same stage in last year’s competition, losing 1-0 in Burkina Faso before thrashing Rahimo 5-0 in the return leg in Aba to progress 5-1 on aggregate.

While Enyimba would be expected to navigate past Rahimo over two legs in normal circumstances, the coronavirus virus pandemic and the subsequent seven-month lockdown in Nigeria mean they lack match fitness having not played any competitive matches since March.

Fatai Osho’s side prepared for the encounter by participating in the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu Preseason tournament which they won but the encounter with Rahimo will be their first competitive match this season.

Rahimo, on the other hand, are eleven games into the Burkina Faso first division where they currently occupy 10th place, although their last fixture ended in a home loss to RC Bobo-Dioulasso.

Despite their lack of competitive fixtures, Mbaoma who scored four goals in Enyimba’s run to the quarterfinals in the Confederation Cup last season, believes the team has prepared well enough and go into the fixture expecting a fight against the Burkinabes.

“We really worked hard because of this game, we know it won’t come easy, and we have to go all out,” the 24-year-old former Remo Stars captain said before the team departed for Burkina Faso.

“So we are very much ready for the game, and the most important thing is that we pray that God gives us the day, because we are aspiring to win and we as well desire to win and we pray that everything works out well for us.

“So we’re ready, by the special grace of God, things will go well.”