Enyimba, the current champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League, faced a setback in their inaugural Africa Football League (AFL) match. Hosting Wydad Casablanca from Morocco at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Sunday, Enyimba suffered a 1-0 defeat.

Yahya Jabrane secured the only goal of the game in the 39th minute, converting skillfully from the penalty spot against Enyimba's goalkeeper and captain, Ojo Olorunleke. Despite having several opportunities, Enyimba failed to capitalize due to a lack of coordination in the final third of the pitch.

In added time, Enyimba's challenges intensified when Alalibo Somiari received a red card for a last-man tackle on Mountassir Lahtimi, following a VAR review that upgraded his initial yellow card.

To progress to the lucrative semi-final stage, Enyimba must now defeat Wydad Casablanca in the upcoming match in Morocco on Wednesday. If successful, they will earn $1.7 million. However, a defeat or draw would eliminate them from the money-spinning phase, resulting in a reduced prize of $900,000, the minimum payout for participating teams in the 2023 Africa Football League.