CAF Confederation Cup
River United Coach Confident Against Tunisia’s Club Africain
Head Coach of Nigerian torchbearers, Rivers United, Stanley Eguma, has told Cafonline that he is optimistic about his team’s chances in their Group A opener away to Club Africain of Tunisia on Sunday in Tunis.
Eguma is convinced his team is well prepared for the test against the Tunisians in the fixture scheduled for the Olympique Stadium in Rades, near Tunis.
Ahead of Rivers’ travel to the Tunisian capital on Friday, barely 48-hours before the match, Eguma told CAFOnline.com: “we are prepared and ready to flag-off our group phase campaign.
“The entire team is ready. We hope not to disappoint our fans because much has been given to us and same is expected from us.
“It is a good thing we are playing away from home first. Not minding the weather in North Africa, we will fight and make sure we come back with good result at the end of the day.
“Don’t forget we won the just ended state Federation Cup and the players are still in good shape and highly motivated. If it continues, I can assure you we will pick a point in Tunisia”.
Rivers, Nigeria’s surviving representative in the continental club championship also have to contend with FUS Rabat of Morocco and Uganda’s Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) at the group stage.
FUS Rabat lock horns with KCCA on Saturday at the Prince Moulay Sport Complex in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
The Fixtures
Group A
13.05.2017 Rabat FUS Rabat (Morocco) vs KCCA (Uganda)
14.05.2017 Tunis Club Africain (Tunisia) vs Rivers United (Nigeria)
Group B
13.05.2017 Sfax CS Sfaxien (Tunisia) vs Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)
13.05.2017 Rustenburg Platinum Stars (South Africa) vs MC Alger (Algeria)
Group C
13.05.2017 Ndola Zesco (Zambia) vs Smouha (Egypt)
14.05.2017 Luanda Recreativo do Libolo (Angola) vs Hilal Obeid (Sudan)
Group D
14.05.2017 Lubumbashi TP Mazembe (DR Congo) vs CF Mounana (Gabon)
12.05.2017 Pretoria Supersport (South Africa) vs Horoya (Guinea)
CAF Confederation Cup
BREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane
Algeria’s USM Alger will have a mountain to climb if they honour the return leg of the Confederation Cup match against Morocco’s RS Berkane on Sunday. Governing body, CAF according to Moroccan outlet, sport.le360, has awarded the cancelled first leg match of last Sunday to RS Berkane as the host team that made the match impossible was declare loser with three goals against.
That is the outcome of the CAF inter-club competitions committee meeting. The match in question did not hold as Algerian authorities confiscated the jerseys of the Moroccans on the ground that they have outline map of Morocco that included a disputed southern province.
CAF had before the match the the jerseys in question are legitimate and had been worn in other matches before now. Algeria declined to accept the ruling.
It is however doubtful if the Algerians will honour the return leg as the Moroccans expectedly will wear the jerseys in dispute on their home ground.
The Algerians have reportedly withdrawn from the Arab U17 Handball Championship on account of having to face Morocco whose shirts will undoubtedly have the kingdom’s full map.
CAF Confederation Cup
Dreams FC dreams coming true? … secure goalless draw against Zamalek in Cairo
Ghana’s team in the CAF Confederation Cup, Dreams FC, is living up to their name. The continental debutants are indeed dreaming dreams. If this is a dream, please don’t wake them up. They have just upset one of the powerhouses in Africa.
The Egyptian giants Zamalek failed to make their dominance count as they were held to a goalless draw by Dreams FC in the first leg of their Confederation Cup semi-final in Cairo on Sunday.
The White Knights enjoyed the better of the chances in Cairo but lacked a cutting edge in the final third against their well-organised opponents.
Portuguese coach Jose Gomes will be concerned by his side’s profligacy ahead of next Sunday’s return in Kumasi, where an away goal for Dreams could prove pivotal.
Zamalek applied plenty of early pressure, with Shikabala, Mostafa Shalaby and Ahmed Hamdi all going close to breaking the deadlock before the midway point of the first half.
Dreams goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi had to be alert to keep out efforts from Shikabala and Travis Mutyaba as Zamalek’s wastefulness in front of goal continued.
The visitors started to gain a foothold and went close through John Antwi, whose powerful strike was well blocked by the impressive Hossam Abdelmaguid.
Shalaby was replaced by Benin international Samson Akinyoola at the break but Zamalek’s frustrations mounted, with the hosts struggling to carve out clear-cut openings.
Akinyoola dragged an effort wide before Shikabala forced a smart save from Agbasi as the offside flag repeatedly came to Dreams’ rescue.
There was still time for Ibrahima Ndiaye to rattle the crossbar late on, but ultimately Zamalek could not find a way through the stubborn Ghanaian rearguard.
Dreams will fancy their chances of reaching the final on away goals if they can shut out Zamalek again in Kumasi next weekend.
CAF Confederation Cup
Algeria’s USM may forfeit Confederation Cup duel to Morocco’s RS Berkane
The anticipated tense Confederation Cup first leg semi-final fixture of USM Alger and Morocco’s RS Berkane did not hold as scheduled on Sunday night following the confiscation of the Moroccan team’s jerseys and equipment by the Algerian aughorutues despite CAF’s spirited efforts to see the items released.
The Confederation has now issued a statement that the matter has been referred to the ‘competent bodies’. CAF apologized for any inconvenience caused to their sponsors, TV partners and the supporters.
It is most likely that the Algerian team would forfeit the match. The Algerians lately have turned the African football arena into political field such that the Moroccan team as defending champions of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) were denied entry to defend their title last year in Algeria.
Similarly, in the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup with Nigeria’s Rivers United, the Algerians frustrated the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) by confisticating the CAF equipment.
CAF issued the following statement over the incident early this month: “Due to circumstances beyond CAF’s control, there will be no Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology at the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup fixture USM Alger and Rivers United in Algeria today.
“For the last few days, CAF has been negotiating with Algerian Authorities to release the VAR equipment that has been kept by Authorities at the entry Port in Oran, Algeria since Wednesday morning.
“Regrettably, the VAR equipment was only released at 19h30 today making it impossible to drive the 400km distance between Oran and Algiers and make it on time for the match.”
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