CAF Confederation Cup

RS Berkane edge Zamalek in African Confederation Cup final, first leg

Published

2 months ago

May 13, 2024

Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane beat Cairo giants Zamalek 2-1 in the African Confederation Cup final, first leg at the Municipal Stadium on Sunday ahead of the return in Egypt a week from now.

The hosts had a dream start after being awarded a 13th minute penalty, converted by skipper Issoufou Dayo, and then grabbed a second goal in the 32nd when Adil Tahif squeezed in a header at the back post catching out goalkeeper Mohamed Awad.

But Zamalek, who won the Confederation Cup five years ago when they beat Berkane on penalties in the final, netted a potentially vital away goal two minutes into the second half as Seifeddine Jaziri powered home a header from Ahmed Zizo’s cross.

Berkane came close to restoring a two-goal lead when Youssef Mehri’s shot skimmed the bar in the 62nd minute.

The return leg in Cairo next Sunday will see Berkane, winners in 2020 and 2022, seeking a third success in the continent’s secondary club competition.

The Moroccan club qualified for the final after a disputed semi-final against holders USM Alger.

Neither leg of the tie was played during a diplomatic spat over Berkane displaying a map of Morocco on their shirts featuring the disputed annexed territory of Western Sahara that Algeria does not recognise.

Berkane had their kit confiscated by Algerian customs when they travelled for the first leg last month and they refused to play. They were awarded a 3-0 victory by the Confederation of African Football’s disciplinary committee.

USM Alger then travelled to Morocco for the return leg but refused to leave their changing rooms at kick off time and were disqualified. They have taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but were unable to force a halt to Sunday’s final, first leg.

-Reuters

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.