RANGERS RETURN TO NORTH AFRICA

After Rangers elimination of Algeria’s USM Bel Abbes in the opening round of the CAF Confederation, the Nigerian cup holders will still make two more journeys to North Africa as the Group Draw of the competition has pitched the club with two Tunisian sides – Etoile du Sahel and CS Sfaxien.

The fourth team of the group is Salitas of Burkina Faso. They are all in Group B. Just as Group B has two Tunisian clubs, so also Group A which has the same colouration of pitching three clubs from the same countries.

Holders Raja Club Athletic was drawn in the same group with fellows RS Berkane and Hassania Agadir in Group A. The odd team of the group is AS Otoho of Congo.

. The outcome serves a replica of the 2012 edition of the second-tier continental club championship when three Sudanese team; Al Merreikh, Al Hilal and Ahly Shendi were in the same group. The other team was Interclube of Angola.

It was the highlight of the draw held on Monday at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Former Cameroon forward Patrick Mboma assisted the draw process conducted by CAF Deputy General Secretary Anthony Baffoe.

Whilst Group A had three teams from the same country, it was a near similar situation in Group B and Group C, with two teams from the same countries.

Tunisian duo Etoile du Sahel and CS Sfaxien are in Group B alongside Enugu Rangers of Nigeria and surprise packets, Salitas, from Burkina Faso.

In Group C, Zambia has two clubs – Nkana and Zesco, with Asante Kotoko (Ghana) and Hilal (Sudan) the other teams. For Kotoko and Hilal, they have old scores to settle after being in the same group for the maiden edition of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2004.

Five-time African champion Zamalek of Egypt leads the line-up in Group B. The rest are Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, Petro Atletico of Angola and Algeria’s NA Hussein Dey.

Below are the details of the draw;
Group A – Hassania Agadir (Morocco), AS Otoho (Congo), RS Berkane (Morocco), Raja (Morocco)
Group B – Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), Rangers (Nigeria), Salitas (Burkina Faso), CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
Group C – Zesco (Zambia), Al Hilal (Sudan), Asante Kotoko (Ghana), Nkana (Zambia)
Group D – Gor Mahia (Kenya), NA Hussein Dey (Algeria), Petro Atletico (Angola), Zamalek (Egypt)