CAF Confederation Cup
Rangers Face Star-Studded Zesco
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
When Nigerian champions, Enugu Rangers line out on Sunday to face Zesco United, they will virtually playing against a combined national teams of Zambia and Kenya.
At least, six of Zesco United players feature for the nationals teams. In the defence line will be Fackson Kapumbu who featured against Super Eagles in the last October World Cup qualifier. He also featured in the left wingback when Zambia were held to 1-1 draw last November by current African champions, Cameroon.
Another player to watch out for is ageing Winston Kalengo. Investigation reveals that the 31 year old has stayed very long in the domestic league of Zambia. In his 11 season in the top Zambian league division, he had scored over 103 goals.
Rangers’ defenders will have to watch out for his strength in the penalty box as his acceleration when next to a defender is terrific. He was in the team that faced the Super Eagles last year.
Zesco goalkeeper, Jacob Banda was on the bench as reserve for Kennedy Mweene when Nigeria faced Zambia last year.
Eyes must also be on Kondwani Mtonga who has been a Chipolopolo player for eight years running. He came in as a substitute in the match lost to Nigeria last year.
Apart from that quartet who are Zambian national team players, there are also the trio Harambee of Kenya stars. These are Anthony Akumu, David “Calabar” Owino and Jesse Were. The trio are in the current national team of Kenya.
CAF Confederation Cup
CAF draw brings Nigeria again against Benin Republic
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/el-kanemi-warriors-1.jpg)
After Nigeria and Benin have been drawn together together in the 2026 World Cup qualifying as well as that of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, another CAF draw has pitched the two teams together.
El-Kanemi will face Dadje of Benin Republic in the opening round of the CAF Confederation Cup. Nigeria’s second team, Enyimba FC are exempted from the first round.
The eight time Nigerian champions will face the winner of Hafia versus Rahimo of Burkina Faso.
CAF Confederation Cup
Enyimba exempted from Preliminary round as El-Kanemi fall in Pot 1 of Confederation Cup draw
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ENYIMBA.jpg)
Enyimba FC have drawn bye in the preliminary stage of the CAF Confederation Cup which draw will hold in Cairo on Thursday. The Nigerian team is among the 12 highest ranked teams in the competition.
Nigeria’s other representative are in Pot 1 along with 12 other clubs. The CAF Confederation Cup have 52 clubs representing 41 countries.
After the 12 exempted clubs, the remaining 40 clubs shall play in the preliminary round which consist of three ranked clubs and 37 non-ranked clubs according to the official clubs ranking.
Three pots of the 37 non-ranked teams are created considering their geographical proximity. The exempted teams and the ranked teams are distributed geographically.
CAF Confederation Cup
EXCLUSIVE! Abia Warriors’ Federation Cup loss saves Enyimba from CAF Confederation Cup disqualification
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ENYIMBA.jpg)
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Had Abia Warriors won the President Federation Cup in tie with El-Kanemi Warriors on Saturday, Enyimba FC would have been disqualified from the CAF Confederation Cup.
Entry for the registration for both Confederation Cup and the CAF Champions League close this Sunday.
Sources at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) informed Sports Village Square that the eligibility code for any of the inter-clubs competitions, does not allow two clubs owned fully or partially by the same person or body to feature in the same competition.
Both Enyimba FC and Abia Warriors are known to be owned and funded by the Abia State Government.
Had Abia Warriors prevailed over El-Kanemi, they too, like Enyimba would have qualified for the Confederation Cup.
Like in UEFA clubs competitions, CAF would not have allowed teams owned fully or partially by the same body to feature in the same competition. In this case, the CAF Confederation Cup.
It would be a different issue, if one of the two were to be competing in the Champions League and the other in the Confederation Cup.
This is stated in Section L.03 of Article 55 of the CAF Men’s Licensing Regulations (2022 edition).
In accordance with the Regulations of CAF Confederation Cup which give precedence to the national cup winner over the third placed teams of the league in case of countries that qualified to enter two teams, the sacrificial lamb would have been Enyimba, whose position would have been taken by the next available team, Shooting Stars who placed fourth on the log.
It was partly in accordance to the Section IV of the CAF Confederation Cup Regulations (ENGAGEMENTS) that enabled the fourth placed Kwara United engaged in the 2022 edition as the entry closed while the Nigerian national cup was still at the quarter-final stage.
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