CAF Confederation Cup
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP: ‘MOSQUITO’ SIGNALS RANGERS’ REVIVAL AGAINST PELICANS
Nigerian torchbearers Rangers of Enugu continue their chase for continental glory since winning the defunct Africa Cup Winners Cup over four decades ago with a round of 16 first leg clash away to Gabonese side AS Pelican on Saturday in Libreville.
The Flying Antelopes were impressive last season in the same competition reaching the mini-league group stage but failed to progress to the quarter-finals after coming closely in third position behind Tunisian duo CS Sfaxien and Etoile du Sahel.
The seven-time champions have since bolstered their side with some experienced players notably veteran midfielder Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, a household name on the Nigerian football scene through his nickname Mosquito.
“It is great to join Rangers International and I’m here to contribute my quota to the success of the team especially in the CAF Confederation Cup because it has been a long time that the club won anything on the continent,” the experienced 33-year-old Ibenegbu, a graduate of Industrial and Microbiology from Imo State University told CAFOnline.com.
“It is my objective to win everything achievable here with Rangers; and we are looking positively at the CAF Confederation Cup as well as the NPFL and Aiteo Cup in Nigeria.
“I believe with my experience playing on the continent alongside that of others now in the team, would help Rangers achieve more than they did last season.”
Mosquito has indeed impressed over the years having played for the Nigeria Beach Soccer national team as well as the Super Eagles side at the 2016 Africa Nations Championship in Rwanda. He has also tasted continental football during his stints at Heartland of Owerri, defunct Warri Wolves and lately with Enyimba before switching to Rangers.
“Enyimba is familiar with playing on the continent and I had four great seasons with them where I gained so much experience playing in both in the domestic and CAF-organised competitions.
“I’ve been well received and the fans can be rest assured that I’m going to give my best after coming back from a knee injury that kept me out of the game for almost a year.
According to Rangers’ Communications Officer, Norbert Okolie, Mosquito has seemingly not lost his cutting edges with his impressive showings in the club’s practice matches ahead of this weekend’s trip to Gabon.
“Our preparation for the CAF Confederation Cup is well on course. We suffered only one game in 12 friendly matches against both professional and amateur clubs. Ibenegbu (Mosquito) featured in six of those matches and I think the coaching crew led by our new manager Benedict Ugwu is very impressed because he has shown his usual old form and assisted in some of the goals we scored.”
Ibenegbu, who acquired Mosquito as a moniker by admirers due to his bean-pole physique, said his coming over to Rangers soon after winning the 2018/2019 Nigerian league with Enyimba offers him yet another opportunity to show what he’s capable of doing.
“In all my years with Enyimba, I only won trophies in the domestic competition but I believe Rangers is strong enough to go all the way in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup and we must show our capacity starting with this weekend’s match against AS Pelican,” he reiterated.
The second leg will take place in Enugu in a fortnight with the winner advancing to the ultimate preliminary of the second-tier continental championship.
Fixtures
Friday:
- Omdurman El Khartoum (Sudan) vs Motema Pembe (DR Congo)
Saturday:
- Nairobi Bandari (Kenya) vs US Ben Guerdane (Tunisia)
- Kigali AS Kigali (Rwanda) vs Proline (Uganda)
- Lome Maranatha (Togo) vs Djoliba (Mali)
- Libreville Pelican (Gabon) vs Rangers (Nigeria)
- Obuasi Ashantigold (Ghana) vs RS Berkane (Morocco)
- Manzini Young Buffaloes (Eswatini) vs Bidvest (South Africa)
- Cairo Pyramids (Egypt) vs CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
Sunday
- Cotonou ESAE (Benin) vs Salitas (Burkina Faso)
- Sfax Ittihad (Libya) vs HUSA (Morocco)*Match will be played in Sfax (Tunisia
- Algiers Paradou (Algeria) vs CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
- Curepipe Bolton City (Mauritius) vs Zanaco (Zambia)
- Zanzibar Malindi (Zanzibar) vs El Masry (Egypt)
- Conakry Santoba (Guinea) vs San Pedro (Cote d’Ivoire)
- Nelspruit TS Galaxy (South Africa) vs CNaPS (Madagascar)
- Dar Azam (Tanzania) vs Triangle (Zimbabwe)
-cafonline
A high-stakes Moroccan derby between Olympique de Safi and Wydad Casablanca will headline the quarter-final stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup, following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), mapped out the path to the final for the eight remaining contenders, setting up intriguing North African and Central African showdowns.
All-Moroccan Clash Guarantees Semi-Final Spot
Olympique de Safi will host Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their tie, ensuring that Morocco will have at least one representative in the semi-finals. The clash pits two sides familiar with each other domestically, adding extra intensity to what is already a decisive knockout encounter.
Egyptian and Algerian Heavyweights in Action
Egyptian giants Zamalek SC will begin their campaign away to Congo’s AS Otoho, a tie that sees the five-time African champions seeking another continental crown.
Meanwhile, Al Masry SC will host Algeria’s CR Belouizdad in the first leg, in what promises to be a tightly contested North Africa battle.
In another compelling fixture, AS Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo will take on Algeria’s USM Alger, as the Congolese side looks to capitalise on home advantage in the opening leg.
Quarter-Final Fixtures
- QF1: Al Masry (Egypt) vs CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
- QF2: Olympique de Safi (Morocco) vs Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- QF3: AS Otoho (Congo) vs Zamalek SC (Egypt)
- QF4: AS Maniema Union (DR Congo) vs USM Alger (Algeria)
The quarter-final first legs are scheduled for 15 March, with return fixtures set for 22 March.
Semi-Final Pathway Confirmed
The draw also determined the semi-final bracket:
- SF1: Winner of AS Maniema Union vs USM Alger will host the first leg against the winner of Olympique de Safi vs Wydad Casablanca.
- SF2: Winner of Al Masry vs CR Belouizdad will host the first leg against the winner of AS Otoho vs Zamalek SC.
The semi-finals will be played on 12 April (first leg) and 19 April (second leg).
The team advancing from the semi-finals will host the first leg of the final on 9 May, with the decisive second leg scheduled for 16 May.
With regional rivalries, heavyweight pedigrees, and emerging contenders all in the mix, the knockout stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup promises high drama as clubs across North and Central Africa vie for continental glory.
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the quarter-final draws for the 2025/26 editions of its two flagship interclub competitions — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
The CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League quarter-final draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on CAF’s official YouTube platform, CAF TV, allowing fans across the continent and beyond to follow proceedings in real time.
Road to the Finals Takes Shape
The draws will determine not only the quarter-final pairings but also the pathway to the finals in both competitions, effectively mapping out the remaining knockout journey for Africa’s elite clubs.
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-finals mark the beginning of direct elimination football — a phase traditionally defined by tactical discipline, squad depth and mental resilience. Clubs will be keenly watching the draw to gauge potential heavyweight clashes or favourable routes to the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, former title holders and emerging contenders alike will be hoping to avoid early confrontations against continental heavyweights. Similarly, in the Confederation Cup, where competitive balance has grown in recent seasons, the draw could produce intriguing North-South or West-East showdowns.
Strategic Importance for Clubs
Beyond sporting prestige, progression to the latter stages of CAF competitions carries significant financial incentives, enhanced continental ranking points and increased global visibility. With African club football enjoying expanded broadcast reach and commercial partnerships, success in these tournaments has become both a sporting and economic objective.
Hosting the draws at the Egyptian FA headquarters in Cairo reinforces the city’s status as a nerve centre of African football administration, as clubs await clarity on their next assignments in what promises to be a decisive knockout phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
All eyes will now turn to Cairo as Africa’s road to continental glory becomes clearer.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek, Kaizer Chiefs Drawn Together as CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Unveiled
The draw for the group phase of this season’s African Confederation Cup conducted in Johannesburg on Monday:
Group A: USM Alger (Algeria), Djoliba (Mali), Olympique Safi (Morocco), San Pedro (Ivory Coast)
Group B: Azam (Tanzania), Maniema Union (DR Congo), Nairobi United (Kenya), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
Group C: Chabab Belouizdad (Algeria), AS Otoho (Congo) Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Stellenbosch (South Africa)
Group D: Al Masry (Egypt), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), Zamalek (Egypt), Zesco United (Zambia)
The top two finishers in each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals in March.
The group phase starts on Sunday November 23 and will continue through to mid-February.
-Reuters
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