CAF Confederation Cup
Malian striker stops Nigeria’s Rivers flow in Confederation Cup
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/abdullah-Kanou.jpg)
Days after Mali inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Morocco, another Malian has scored another two goal licking on Nigeria’s continental flag bearer, Rivers United as they fell 2-0 to Algeria’s USM Alger.
Malian striker, Abdullah Kanou, scored both goals for USM Alger that secured the valuable victory that for his team, allowing them to reach the semi-finals for the second consecutive time on a 2-1 goal aggregate.
USM Alger rectified their defeat in the first leg in Nigeria with a 1-0 loss and advanced to the last four and keep alive their hopes of retaining the title.
USM Alger started the match strongly, aiming to open the scoring, but they were unable to do so until the 37th minute when Kanou opened the scoring from close range.
The second half saw a significant increase in USM Alger’s attacking movements, hoping to extend their lead, but the play became more centralized in the midfield.
Rivers United came close to equalizing, but Andy Ogbai’s header hit the crossbar of the Algerian goalkeeper, Osama Ben Boute, in the 72nd minute.
Kanou struck again in the 74th minute, securing the second goal that guaranteed the defending champions’ qualification to the semi-finals.
USM Alger will face Moroccan club Berkane in the semi-finals later on this month.
CAF Confederation Cup
CAF draw brings Nigeria again against Benin Republic
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/el-kanemi-warriors-1.jpg)
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
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ENYIMBA.jpg)
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
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ENYIMBA.jpg)
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.
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