CAF Champions League

JOURNEYMAN, TYAVKASE EYES CONTINENTAL GLORY WITH LOBI STARS

Published

7 years ago

March 5, 2019

Midfielder David Tyavkase says winning yet another CAF Champions League title with Lobi Stars would be a far greater satisfaction than his glorious days with Enyimba.

The 34-year-old, a veteran on the Nigerian domestic scene, was also an important member of the Enyimba squad that won successive CAF Champions League titles in 2003 and 2004 as well as the CAF Super Cup in 2004 and 2005.

At the twilight of his career, Tyavkase has yet to show signs of a spent force, and he is an integral part of Lobi Stars, back in the group stage for the first time since 2000. His experience and trophy-laden days with Enyimba which saw him annex four league titles (2003, 2005, 2007, 2010) and two FA Cup trophies (2005, 2009) has been the tool driving his quest for continental glory with the Makurdi-based club.

“Winning titles was a routine when I was at Enyimba but winning the league last year with Lobi Stars and qualification to play in the CAF Champions League, really made me very happy. It was the first time I was getting something with a team from my hometown and it was my fifth league title. Winning with Lobi Stars was special; it offered me fresh opportunities because I want to keep on playing football as long as I can.

“I hail from Gboko in Benue State (Middle Belt regional zone of Nigeria) and the two clubs that I grew up to know was BCC Lions of Gboko and Lobi Stars of Makurdi; so it’s a great honour for me to play in the CAF Champions League with a team from my state of origin,” said Tyavkase whose middle name, Terzungwe means ‘God is merciful’ in his Tiv dialect.

Officially, this season marks Tyavkase’s 17th year as a professional player and beside stints with Gabonese duo, CF Mounana and US Bitam, he also played for Nigerian sides including defunct Gabros (now known as FC Ifeanyi Ubah) and Heartland.

His first spell with Enyimba lasted between 2003 and 2007 when the club became a dominant force on the continent. He bolted away to Lobi Stars where he spent a year before returning to Enyimba for another two years, 2009 and 2011. He was briefly at Heartland before his expedition to Gabon and only detoured to Lobi Stars in 2016.

“I started with Gabros in the 2001/ 2002 season, and then to Enyimba in 2003. I was lucky to have started my career early at the top level with players who were far ahead of me in terms of age and experience,” he explained.

After four rounds of matches, Lobi sit at the bottom of Group A tied on four points with Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosas. South Africa’s Mamelofi Sundowns and Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco share top spot on seven points apiece.

However, Tyavkase believes Lobi Stars can still progress to the quarters, adding the penultimate tie away to Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria is crucial to their aspirations.

“Lobi Stars have only four points now and we need all the three points in our next game against Mamelodi Sundowns to be in contention for the quarter finals. There is nothing impossible in football and we are seriously working towards getting a very good result away in Pretoria,” said Tyavkase, who has no immediate plans of hanging his boots.

“I want to keep on playing as long as I can; I can’t say this is when I want to quit playing football. I’m still very strong; I will stop playing football the day I can no longer kick the ball,” the 34-year old concluded.

– Cafonline

CAF Champions League

Downloadable full fixtures of CAF Champions League 2025/26 available as Draw serves up high-stakes clashes

Published

1 month ago

August 10, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Click HERE for the full list of fixtures.

The race for African club football’s most prestigious crown has officially kicked off following the draw for the Preliminary and Second Preliminary Rounds of the CAF Champions League 2025/26, held at Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday.

A record 62 clubs from across the continent will feature in this season’s campaign, underscoring the competition’s growing appeal.

Record title winners Al Ahly of Egypt and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, both top-ranked sides, have been handed byes into the Second Preliminary Round where defending champions Pyramids FC of Egypt will face Rwanda’s APR.

The draw also delivered several tantalising fixtures in the early stages.

North African powerhouses could collide early as Sierra Leone’s East End Lions will face Tunisia’s US Monastirienne, with the winners earning a shot at the winners of the clash between Ghana’s Bibiani Gold Stars and Algerian giants JS Kabylie.

Liberia’s FC Fassell will look to overcome Senegal’s ASC Jaraaf for a potential meeting with Algeria’s MC Alger, while Benin’s Dadjè FC and Libya’s representative, Libya 1, clash for the chance to face Togo’s ASCK or Morocco’s RS Berkane.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Remo Stars meet Comoros’ US Zilimadjou for the right to play Sundowns, while Zimbabwe’s Simba Bhora tackle Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in a tie that leads to a showdown with Botswana’s Gaborone United — and ultimately Tanzania’s Simba SC in the next round.

Zambia’s Power Dynamos begin against Ivorian heavyweights ASEC Mimosas with the winner of the match between Namibia’s African Stars and Vipers FC of Uganda waiting in the wings.

Rahimo FC of Burkina Faso will face Gabon’s AS Mangasport with the winners taking on the victor in Niger’s Forces Armées meeting Tunisian giants Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST).

Teams that exit in the first two rounds will this season receive USD 100,000 to cover their logistical costs as CAF seeks to encourage more clubs to take part, which is reflected in the record number of teams registered for the 2025/26 season.

The Preliminary Round kicks off with first-leg matches between 19–21 September 2025 and second-leg matches between 26–28 September 2025. The Second Preliminary Round follows from 17–19 October (first leg) and 24–26 October (second leg).

The Group Stage begins on 21 November 2025, with the knockout phase set to start on 13 March 2026.

Cafonline

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CAF Champions League

CAF Draw Hands Remo Stars Familiar Opponents, Possible Sundowns Clash Looms

Published

1 month ago

August 9, 2025

Kunle Solaja

By KUNLE SOLAJA.

Nigerian champions Remo Stars will begin their 2025/26 CAF Champions League campaign against US Zilimadjou of Comoros in the preliminary round, a familiar pairing for Nigerian clubs.

US Zilimadjou were the same opponents Enugu Rangers faced at this stage in the 2023/24 season, with both legs played in Nigeria due to the Comoros side lacking an approved home ground.

Victory for Remo Stars will set up a daunting second-round clash against continental heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, owned by CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe.

While Remo Stars know their path, fellow Nigerian representatives Rivers United must wait for the conclusion of DR Congo’s Linafoot League to know their opponents. Rivers United will play the first leg away.

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CAF Champions League

A minimum of $100,000 each awaits Nigerian continental quartet in CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup

Published

1 month ago

August 9, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s quartet of Remo Stars, Rivers United, Abia Warriors, and Kwara United will each be guaranteed a financial cushion of USD 100,000 as they embark on their quest in this season’s CAF Interclub competitions.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rolled out the incentive to cover logistical expenses for teams eliminated in the first two rounds of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League, a move designed to encourage wider participation across the continent.

The policy is already yielding results, with a record 62 clubs registering for the tournament, which kicks off with the preliminary stage next month. The first-leg matches are scheduled for September 19–21, with the return legs taking place from September 26–28.

Holders Al Ahly of Egypt and South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns have been handed automatic byes to the second round, while the remaining 60 teams have been seeded into pots according to CAF’s club ranking system. Geographical factors have also been considered to ease travel demands on participating clubs.

The expanded support initiative is part of CAF’s broader strategy to strengthen club football and make participation in its elite competitions more sustainable for teams from all regions of Africa.

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