We missed Babayaro- Musa Abdulahi

Victor Babayaro was serving a one match ban after two yellow cards against Renacimiento in Malabo and Hearts of Oak in Accra.

"Victor is the pivot of our midfield and with his absence we had to rush in Kinglsey Williams who was just coming out of a five week injury lay off and he really did not get into the game until he was taken off after thirty minutes," Musa Abdulahi said.

"Good thing he will be back for the return leg and Williams fitter then ever so i am optimistic"

Dolphins on Sunday at the Port Harcourt Liberation stadium beat ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast two nil  to give their teeming fans some thing to cheer about.

Dolphins scored first  in the eighteenth minute through Endurance Idahor and with just three minutes to go and with the game looking like it was going to end that way, Endurance worked up a piece of individual brilliance to blast home the second goal giving relief to the teeming fans of the club.

After the game Musa Abdulahi told nigeriasports.com that he had studied tapes of ASEC and knew how to cage them but unfortunately his boys over worked themselves trying to contain the five man midfield of the Ivoriens.

“It is good we won. It was a very difficult match but we can now go into the second leg knowing we have a difficult task at hand.” Musa Abdulahi

“We had too much respect for ASEC and I think my boys wore themselves out trying to contain them, but taking a two zero lead to ASEC is much better than one goal and I am optimistic.”

Coach of the Ivoriens, German born, Patrick Liewig, said he was disappointed with his players for losing concentration when it mattered most.

“We played better than them but my defenders lost concentration twice and conceded two goals. It’s a tough way to end a game that you should have won, but we still have the second leg to redeem ourselves.”