CAF Confederation Cup

Rwandan Rayon Sports Fired Up For Rivers United

Published

7 years ago

April 11, 2017

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Rayon Sports of Rwanda are confident of compounding the woes of Nigerian clubs in the continent by upstaging Rivers United on Sunday in the play-off for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.

With elimination staring at Enugu Rangers which had a ‘must win’ or a minimum 3-3 draw with Zesco United in Ndola, Rivers United looks as Nigeria’s only hope.

The Sports Village Square gathers from Rwanda New Times that Rayon Sports have started preparations for the encounter against “physical Rivers United.”

The publication, quoting the coach, Djuma Masudi, revealed that the Rwandan team will arrive Nigeria on Friday.

The team had been traing at Stade de Kigali. “The whole squad is in good shape and we want to keep the winning spirit from the national league.

“We want to play good football but the most important thing is to win matches. Our confidence is pretty high and hopefully we can get a good away result,” Masudi reportedly told Rwanda’s Sunday Sport.

He added, “We are doing well for sure but we know it is hard to get good results in Nigeria. We are preparing well for the first leg so that we can come back with hope of qualifying for the next stage.”

“We are going to give everything we can to get a result in the first leg. We will be looking to score but at the same time make sure we keep it tight at the back. Going by some of their videos that we’ve managed to watch, they play a physical game and we have to match them in that aspect.”

Rayon Sports reached the play-off round after their first round, second leg match against Malian side Onze Createurs was cancelled after FIFA’s suspended the Malian FA.

Rayon Sports are leading Rwanda Premier league with 55 points, 11 ahead of second-placed and defending champions APR FC.

CAF Confederation Cup

CAF draw brings Nigeria again against Benin Republic

Published

2 weeks ago

July 11, 2024

Kunle Solaja

El Kanemi Warriors to face Dadje of Benin Republic

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

Published

2 weeks ago

July 10, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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

Published

4 weeks ago

June 30, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Enyimba saved by Abia Warriors loss at the President Federation Cup

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.