CAF Confederation Cup

CAF Confederation Cup: Rivers United Hope to Flow Upstream

Published

7 years ago

July 1, 2017

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Group A of the 2017 Confederation Cup has taken a definite pattern – Each club takes maximum point at home. Nigeria’s Rivers United will definitely wish to sustain the established order as they engage Tunisia’s Club Africain at home on Sunday.
Owing to each club winning at home, all the four teams of the group are locked on six points after the Match Day 4 encounters. Just goal differences separate them from each other.
But Rivers United has managed to score at least a goal in each of the matches. But on Sunday, the Nigerian side will need more than just scoring a goal.
The goals will have to flow like rivers for Rivers United to wash of their goal deficit and possibly be on credit as the group looks likely to be decided on goal difference when the curtain is drawn on the group stage later this month.
While Rivers United hope for a win, the club will possibly wish that the other group encounter of Kampala City Council hosting Fath Union Sports of Morocco will be deadlocked.
That way, Rivers United will with nine points, flow into the top of the log for the first time, while the duo the Ugandan and Moroccan clubs with trail with seven points each.
Tunisia’s Club Africain may then be left stranded at the bottom. But how ready are the Rivers United men?
Media Officer cum Director of Communications of the club, Sammy Wejinya, informed Sports Village Square that the players and their handlers already know the importance of Sunday’s match.
Manager, Stanley Eguma told the club’s official website, www.riversunitedfc.com that there was no room for errors.
“We have to show a lot of concentration in the game and the players have to display commitment.
“It is a big game for us, a make or mar game so the players have to win the game and win with (a lot of) goals.
“It (failure to score plenty of goals) has been one of our predicaments (for some time) now.
“I am very optimistic that with what I have been seeing of the boys in training, the future is bright and I am sure we will have a good game on Sunday.
“I spoke to the players about this and even they admitted that it is a problem.
“For you to win a game, you must be alive for the entire 90 minutes and even beyond.
“To score one goal does not mean a match is over; you have to consolidate and also try to defend the goal. “We have been working on this (weakness) to see that we improve the endurance levels of the players.
“This group is very tough and every club is capitalizing on home advantage to amass maximum points.
“Goals will play a very big role in the final and decisive moments in this group.
“We have been working on scoring goals and we just appeal to Nigerians to keep supporting us.
Rivers United were initially feared to be handicapped on account of possible unavailability of skipper Festus Austin.
But the centre half player has dismissed such. Sports Village Square gathered from the club’s official website that the skipper remarked: “Yes, I will play on Sunday because the medical team has passed me fit to play.
“It is important to play in such a big game and I will be working hard to be at my best on Sunday.
“We played well in the reverse fixture in Tunis but we did not utilize our opportunities and were not careful enough in defence.
“But we have learned from those mistakes and will put things right on Sunday.”
But if Rivers United dreams of goals, a player who could have been relied on, Bernard Ovoke, has not lived up to his billings so far in the competition.
The winger seems to also admit to his under performance so far and promised to improve.
Hear him: “I agree with those who say I have not reached the levels I attained last season but that’s football.
“No two seasons are the same but I promise the fans that I will pick up, work very hard and achieve the objective of scoring 20 goals this season.
“We need the fans on Sunday when we face Club Africain; we need their support.
“We will beat Club Africain on Sunday because the Yakubu Gowon Stadium is our slaughter ground.
“I believe we will win a trophy this year”. The CAF Confederation Cup, introduced 13 years ago when the previous African Cup Winners Cup and the CAF Cup competitions were merged, has been elusive to Nigerian club sides, even though the former Dolphins of Port Harcourt managed to get to the final in 2005 after dropping out of the Champions League the same way Rivers United did this year.

CAF Confederation Cup

Nigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture

Published

21 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

It is now official and has moved from the realm of speculations. Algeria’s USM Alger have forfeited their home match in the cancelled CAF Confederation Cup semi-final first leg duel with Morocco’s RS Berkane.

An official letter signed by Nigeria’s Samson Adamu has been addressed to the Algerian Football Federation (FAF). Adamu is CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events.

In the ;etter dated April 24, 2024 and sent to Nadir Bouzenad, the General Secretary of FAF, the English translation reads:

Algerian Football Federation (FAF)

“Subject: Match No 129 USMA (Algeria) vs. RS Berkane (Morocco) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024

At its meeting held on April 24, the Committee for the Organization of Interclub Competitions and the Management of the Club Licensing System decided the following:

1. Sanction Club USMA with a forfeit of 0-3 for match no.129 USMA (Algeria) vs RS Berkane (Morocco) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024.

2. Submit the case to the Disciplinary Jury for possible additional sanctions.

3. The return match RS Berkane (Morocco) vs USMA (Algeria) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024 – at the Municipal Stadium of Berkane – 8:00 p.m. (local time) on April 28, 2024 is maintained.”

It is however doubtful if USM will honour Sunday’s return match as Algeria pulled out of an Arab Handball Championship for the same reason that scuttled the CAF Confederation Cup match last Sunday.

The Algerians pulled out of a scheduled handball fixture against Morocco because of the map of the Moroccans’ shirts. Pulling out of the Confederation Cup return leg may also attract further sanctions as CAF has indicated.

CAF Confederation Cup

BREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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.