Akwa hopeful of victory in Gambia despite Uyo setback

The coach of the Akwa United, Abdu Maikaba, has said his team will beat Gambian club Hawks in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round match at the Independence Stadium, Bakau in Banjul on Wednesday.

Akwa United lost the first leg 2-1 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Maikaba told reporters in Uyo on Monday that the Promise Keepers were not under pressure ahead of today’s match in the Gambia.

He said, “I have been in football for many years and I have worked with different sets of players under different management. But there is something special about Akwa United. Everyone is fully committed and dedicated towards the success of the team at all times.

“We were surprised by the result in Uyo, but, we know that no two matches are the same. The game will be decided after the second leg on Wednesday, so the tie is still alive and we have 90 minutes to decide our fate.

“We all know the importance of this match, we have been well motivated and the fans have given us their support and they are also expecting something from us, so we have to reciprocate by redeeming ourselves and giving them what they deserve.”

Always United must win the encounter convincingly to stand a chance of making it to the next round.