Connect with us

CAF Confederation Cup

NIGERIA’S BOLAJI SAKIN AIDS HOROYA TO OUST ENYIMBA FROM CONFEDERATION CUP

Published

on

Nigerian born Bolaji Sakin and Boubacar Samassekou were on target as Horoya beat Nigerian outfit Enyimba 2-0 at the Stade 28 Septembre in Conakry on Sunday to progress to the semi-finals with a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Bolaji Sakin, serial goal scorer for Horoya

And so, like Enugu Rangers, like Shooting Stars and the defunct Water Corporation of Ibadan, Nigerian clubs have failed to get results of the two top clubs of Guinea in Conakry – Hafia and Horoya.

For Enyimba, the first leg played in Aba last weekend ended 1-1 and the Guineans finished off the work at home with a comfortable win that earns them a date against Egyptian debutants Pyramids in the last four.

The goal brought the tie to life as far as attack was concerned, the two West African sides having battled for possession in the middle of the pack with little action in the final third.

 

The only other chance before the goal was another Sakin shot from range which went inches over.

The game gained some life after the goal with the home side being the more industrious upfront. Morlaye Sylla forced the Enyimba keeper to a brilliant save in the 38th minute when he drove in a thunderbolt from distance after dribbling through.

Advertisement

Sylla had another chance just two minutes this later, this time his bouncing header off a corner flying into the keeper’s arms.

Enyimba were forced into a tactical switch with three minutes left in the second half, Andrew Abalogu being thrown into the fray in place of Igho James.

The attacking change was meant to give Enyimba attacking impetus as they chose to go all out for an equalizer.

But, it was Horoya who created the better chances and on the hour mark, they should have gone two up, but Boniface Haba struck the ball high over the bar from close range after being beautifully teed up by Atta Agyei.

Six minutes later, Horoya were knocking on the door again, this time Agyei striking another blinder of a shot from range which came cracking under the bar.

Advertisement

The home side kept pushing and the Nigerian side was totally overwhelmed as they couldn’t even knit an effort at goal.

Nigerian forward Sakin broke the deadlock in the 27th minute with a sublime goal, curling the ball to the far post from the edge of the area after the Enyimba defense half halfheartedly cleared away a corner.

All their hopes were dashed seven minutes to time when defender Samassekou thumped in a header past the keeper after running to the edge of the six yard box to meet a corner curled in by Sylla.

With victory in sight and Enyimba looking far from a side capable of turning over the tie in seven minutes, Horoya carefully guarded the lead with Tafadzwa Kutinyu and Aristide Bance being introduced to run down the remaining minutes.

Advertisement

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

CAF Confederation Cup

CAF draw brings Nigeria again against Benin Republic

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

CAF Confederation Cup

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

CAF Confederation Cup

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Most Viewed