CAF Confederation Cup
Sportsville Award Winner, Elegbeleye Celebrates Rivers United Confederation Cup Qualification –
Gbenga Elegbeleye, the chieftain of the Nigeria Premier League and winner of the Sports Administrator of the Year category at last Friday’s Sportsville Awards has applauded Rivers United for reaching the quarter finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Rivers United achieved the feat following a 2-1 defeat of Dreams FC of Ghana in the last group fixture in Uyo on Sunday.
Rivers United finished second behind the Ghanaian side on same points but on inferior goals difference. Club Africain of Tunisia dropped to third after a 1-1 draw with APC Lobito of Angola.
Elegbeleye who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League in a congratulatory message, said their success has added to the recent revival of the nation’s football.
The NPFL Chairman also commended the club for the win which sustained Nigeria’s standing in country ratings in CAF club competitions.
“The victory of Rivers United and their qualification for the knockout stage is very significant because it has guaranteed Nigeria two places each in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
“We are very delighted that the Club has sustained the country’s recent good runs in football since the coming of the Ibrahim Gusau led NFF Board”, declared Elegbeleye.
He assured Rivers United of the continued support of the NPFL Board in whichever way its assistance is required to ensure that Nigeria wins the competition.
“Rivers United is a worthy ambassador of the NPFL and we are very proud of their performance which also has rubbed of positively on the quality standard and competitiveness of our league”, continued Elegbeleye.
Rivers United will now face any of the three of USM Alger of Algeria, Zamalek of Egypt or RS Berkane of Morocco in the last eight in a home and away legs knockout games.
Algeria’s USM Alger continues to battle in what looked an hopeless situation in a bid to upturn a decision of the Committee for the Organization of Interclub Competitions and the Management of the Club Licensing System which awarded the first leg match of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final duel to the visiting RS Berkane of Morocco.
The continental body on Friday confirmed the verdict of the Organising Committee and thus threw away the appeal by Algeria.
The Appeal Committee of CAF rejected the Algerian club’s requests.
The USM Algiers club delegation has arrived Morocco through the the Oujda-Angad airport. They were warmly welcome by Moroccan officials led by Belaqchour, the President of the professional national league.
The team arrived at around 5 p.m., aboard a special plane from Algiers. Also on hand to receive them were officials of Berkane officials.
It took the Algerians just 15 minutes from landing to leaving the airport. They were greeted by a large number of fans.
The Algerians have an Herculean task of overturning a 3-0 deficit awarded to RS Berkane in the botched first leg match. The return leg match will hold on Sunday at the Berkane municipal stadium at 8 p.m.
The decision to play the second leg in Berkane comes as USM Alger seeks to avoid additional sanctions from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which could include a ban from participating in African competitions for up to four years.
Ghana’s Dreams FC coach, Karim Zito, announced on Friday that he is diligently preparing his players for a potential penalty shootout against Zamalek in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final, scheduled for Sunday.
The first leg match concluded with a goalless draw between the two teams in Cairo last week, and the upcoming second leg will take place in Kumasi, ultimately determining the team that will qualify for the final.
“We ended with penalty shootouts, and out of the twenty-four (24) players, only three (3) of them could not score, so we are ready if it comes down to penalties,” Zito stated during an interview with Kumasi-based Akoma FM.
He further added, “Let me say that we are hoping to secure qualification in regulation time on Sunday.”
During the first leg game in Cairo, Zamalek missed several clear goal-scoring opportunities, leaving them with no alternative but to avoid a loss in Ghana in order to advance to the final of the competition.
Iheanacho, Ndidi back in Premier League as Leicester City get promotion
Crossfire in Zambia as FIFA and Government go for showdown
Al Ahly to face Esperance in African Champions League final
SUPER EAGLES TO FACE ENGLAND IN PRE-WORLD CUP FRIENDLY
Apart from Okwaraji, Nigeria’s Other Field-Related Obituaries
Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoRemo Stars add fuel to the fire as title chase turns East – West battle
-
CAF Confederation Cup2 days agoNigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture
-
UEFA Champions League1 week agoNigerians among Leverkusen’s African quintetin historic Bundesliga triumph
-
CAF Confederation Cup3 days agoBREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoHeartland back to their homeland as they host Shooting Stars
-
FEDERATION CUP1 week agoBREAKING! Federation Cup acquires presidential nomenclature…7th name since inception
-
CAF Confederation Cup1 week agoConfederation Cup runs into crisis as Moroccan players of RS Berkane are stranded at Algerian airport following seizure of jerseys and equipment
-
African Games3 days agoBREAKING! Accra 2023 African Games Chieftain is dead