*As Enyimba, Anges de Nosta clash

Nigeria’s football suffered a big blow yesterday as the country’s Premier league champions, Kano Pillars Football Club were bundled out of the CAF African Champions League by AS Vita of the Democratic Republic of Congo on a 4-3 goals aggregate.

Pillars who had a two goals deficit from the first leg last week after losing 1-3 to the visitors needed two goals without conceding any to move into the next round of the competition but they met a brick wall as the Congolese took the battle to them very early in the first half.

The game was barely five minutes old when the visitors took a surprise lead to send cold shivers down the spines of the teeming Pillars supporters who thronged the Sani Abacha Stadium to cheer their team to victory.

The goal unsettled the coach Okey Emordi-tutored Pillars as they struggled to equalise, missing chances at will until the end of the first half.

On resumption of the second half, AS Vita brought in Louvimbu Nzinga for Mubele Ndombe to hold on to their lead as Pillars desperately searched for the equaliser which however came via a header from substitute Kabiru Umar in the 66th minute.

Rabiu Ali made it two for Pillars off a corner kick but the visitors continued to frustrate the Kano side who needed two more goals to sail through when they pulled out Emmanuel Ngudikada for Mabele Bawaka to beef up their defence who held on till the final whistle.

With Pillars’ crash, Enyimba FC of Aba, the country’s second team in the competition will carry on as they carry a 3-1 advantage to Lome where they take on Anges de Nosta of Togo today.