Nigeria Cup winners, El-Kanemi Warriors narrowly avoided defeat in the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, salvaging a 1-1 draw against Dadje FC in stoppage time at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne.

El Kanemi Warriors found themselves trailing after Selasie Bakia put the visitors ahead in the 22nd minute.

Despite their efforts, it wasn’t until stoppage time that Gimba Ajiji rescued a point for the home side, levelling the score in the dying moments of the game.

Head coach Zubairu Aliyu however cited the lack of Grade A friendly matches as a key factor behind his team’s underwhelming performance.

He explained that their preseason preparation was severely hampered by restrictions imposed by Borno State Government, which prevented the team from participating in crucial warm-up games due to a strike action.

“It’s not ideal to be discovering your team’s weaknesses during the competition itself,” Aliyu expressed with frustration, highlighting the importance of preseason friendlies in fine-tuning the squad.

As they look ahead to the second leg in Benin Republic, Aliyu remains focused on rectifying the mistakes from the first match.

The return leg is scheduled for Saturday in Cotonou, where the Warriors will be aiming for a better result to secure their progression in the tournament.