CAF Confederation Cup

AT LAST, RANGERS EARN 1ST CONFEDERATION CUP POINT IN NOUAKCHOTT

Published

5 years ago

December 30, 2019

First timers Nouadhibou and Nigeria’s Rangers International fired blanks but picked up their first points of the CAF Confederations Cup after playing to a barren draw in Nouakchott on Sunday evening.

The point though will not be beneficial much to the two sides heading into the final half of group fixtures with Egypt’s Pyramids and Al Masry leading the group with nine and six points respectively.

The two sides had lost their opening two matches prior to their meeting on Sunday.

The Mauritanian side, playing at home, didn’t create much in a game that was tightly contested with chances few and far in between.

Their first and probably best chance at goal was in the 18th minute when Sidi Abdoullah was sent through on goal.

However, the forward could not beat the keeper who came storming off his line, placing his shot wide.

It was the Nigerian side who had the lion’s share of scoring chances.

They tried their luck with efforts from distance and it was Uwadiegwu Ugu who lined up first with his low shot turned behind for a corner by the keeper.

Anthony Shimaga was next with a pile diver from distance, but the effort flew over the bar. Kingsley Eleje was then presented with a good scoring opportunity with a freekick from 20 yards out on the left, but once again the effort couldn’t go on target.

In the second half, the home side, pushed on by a sizeable crowd at the Stade Cheikha Boidiya came back with determination to make the chances count, but their ability to pick the right passes in the opponent’s defending third was always failing.

It was Rangers who had another golden opportunity to score, this time Eleje seeing his shot go inches wide off target after doing well to create shooting space from a crowded box.

The tussle was centred in midfield, with both sides squaring out for possession, but the urge to score was always missing as the Mauritanians failed to score in their second out of three group matches.

Heading into the fourth round of matches next month, the two sides are faced with must win situations when they face each other in Nigeria.

CAF Confederation Cup

CAF draw brings Nigeria again against Benin Republic

Published

2 weeks ago

July 11, 2024

Kunle Solaja

El Kanemi Warriors to face Dadje of Benin Republic

After Nigeria and Benin have been drawn together together in the 2026 World Cup qualifying as well as that of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, another CAF draw has pitched the two teams together.

El-Kanemi will face Dadje of Benin Republic in the opening round of the CAF Confederation Cup. Nigeria’s second team, Enyimba FC are exempted from the first round.

The eight time Nigerian champions will face the winner of Hafia versus Rahimo of Burkina Faso.

CAF Confederation Cup

Enyimba exempted from Preliminary round as El-Kanemi fall in Pot 1 of Confederation Cup draw

Published

2 weeks ago

July 10, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Enyimba FC have drawn bye in the preliminary stage of the CAF Confederation Cup which draw will hold in Cairo on Thursday. The Nigerian team is among the 12 highest ranked teams in the competition.

Nigeria’s other representative are in Pot 1 along with 12 other clubs. The CAF Confederation Cup have 52 clubs representing 41 countries.

After the 12 exempted clubs, the remaining 40 clubs shall play in the preliminary round which consist of three ranked clubs and 37 non-ranked clubs according to the official clubs ranking.

Three pots of the 37 non-ranked teams are created considering their geographical proximity. The exempted teams and the ranked teams are distributed geographically.

CAF Confederation Cup

EXCLUSIVE! Abia Warriors’ Federation Cup loss saves Enyimba from CAF Confederation Cup disqualification

Published

4 weeks ago

June 30, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Enyimba saved by Abia Warriors loss at the President Federation Cup

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Had Abia Warriors won the President Federation Cup in tie with El-Kanemi Warriors on Saturday, Enyimba FC would have been disqualified from the CAF Confederation Cup.

Entry for the registration for both Confederation Cup and the CAF Champions League close this Sunday.

Sources at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) informed Sports Village Square that the eligibility code for any of the inter-clubs competitions, does not allow two clubs owned fully or partially by the same person or body to feature in the same competition.

Both Enyimba FC and Abia Warriors are known to be owned and funded by the Abia State Government.

Had Abia Warriors prevailed over El-Kanemi, they too, like Enyimba would have qualified for the Confederation Cup.

Like in UEFA clubs competitions, CAF would not have allowed teams owned fully or partially by the same body to feature in the same competition. In this case, the CAF Confederation Cup.

It would be a different issue, if one of the two were to be competing in the Champions League and the other in the Confederation Cup.

This is stated in Section L.03 of Article 55 of the CAF Men’s Licensing Regulations (2022 edition).

In accordance with the Regulations of CAF Confederation Cup which give precedence to the national cup winner over the third placed teams of the league in case of countries that qualified to enter two teams, the sacrificial lamb would have been Enyimba, whose position would have been taken by the next available team, Shooting Stars who placed fourth on the log.

It was partly in accordance to the Section IV of the CAF Confederation Cup Regulations (ENGAGEMENTS) that enabled the fourth placed Kwara United engaged in the 2022 edition as the entry closed while the Nigerian national cup was still at the quarter-final stage.