CAF Confederation Cup
Rivers United On a Renaissance
BY SAMMY WEJINYA
Touted for big things after a sparkling victory over Malian club, AS Real Bamako in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, the ‘Pride of Rivers’ made Nigerians believe they could dare to dream.
Comparisons were even drawn with the legendary Enyimba sides of 2003 and 2004 after United tore the form books to shreds by outclassing Sudanese giants, Al Merreikh 3-0 in the first leg of their first round CAF Champions League clash in Port Harcourt.
Then came implosion as the wheels came off spectacularly for the Nigerian flag bearers in Africa’s elite club competition.
In a cauldron of hate and noise (the Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman), United’s stars failed to deal with the pressure of playing in front of over 70,000 vociferous Al Merreikh fans as they suffered a 0-4 reverse.
The dream was over; heads dropped as many were left to ponder what might have been.
Confidence levels were at their lowest ebb and Rivers United was in free fall with the nadir exemplified by three consecutive defeats in domestic competition (against MFM, Enyimba and Gombe United); the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Then came the revival as the Port Harcourt club sought to rise from the ashes, like the proverbial Phoenix, in all its glory with hard-fought but extremely crucial league wins against ABS FC and Abia Warriors.
Technical manager of United, Azunda Stanley Eguma smiled like the cat that ate the canary as he took the time to review the wins which seemingly set things up quite nicely ahead of Sunday’s big game against Rayon Sports.
“We have suffered so much in the past months but as an extremely experienced coach, I know that football is like life; it is full of ups and downs.
“It is important to finally get back to winning ways as it helps build confidence.
“Now, we will (ride on that momentum) and try to get a good result against Rayon Sports who are a very good side,” he told the club’s official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
How will Rayon play in Port Harcourt? Rayon Sports Football Club (nicknamed Gikundiro) is the second most successful football club in Rwanda, after Army club, APR who have 16 league titles to their name.
The Nyanza club (Rayon Sports FC) have claimed seven league titles and are poised to collect an eighth as they are currently runaway leaders in this season’s Rwanda National Football League.
Gikunduro have lost just once in their first 22 games of the season are currently 11 points clear of second-placed bitter rivals, APR.
Rayon Sports, a fluid-playing, attack-minded side is largely built around three players; striker, Nshuti Dominique Savio, midfielder, Moussa Camara and playmaker extraordinaire, Pierrot Kwizera who is from Burundi.
Pierrot is the heart and soul of the side; the midfield anchor on who most of the positive play of the side is anchored.
His vision, low centre of gravity, silky touches and quickness of thought makes him slippery as an eel and almost impossible to mark.
Savio is a speed star and poacher of deadly efficiency while Camara is capable of moments of magic.
Rayon are also extremely dangerous from set pieces and the United players will be wise to avoid giving away free kicks in and around their penalty area.
Head coach of Rayon Sports, Masudi Djuma is optimistic of his side’s progress to the group stage but the Burundian tactician knows the importance of claiming a positive result in the first leg in Port Harcourt.
“It is a very big game for us. We are in Nigeria to try to get a draw at least.
“We know a draw is going to help us (in our quest to reach the group stages) by the time we play the second leg in Rwanda.
“Actually, we want to win but even a draw will help us in the second leg.
“Rivers United, I agree, are not doing well domestically but no two games are the same.
“The Confederation Cup is a completely different competition from the Nigerian league.
“Rivers can lift their game on Sunday and surprise everyone. We cannot think too much against Rivers United’s poor form in their league (the Nigeria Professional Football League) because it will be a fatal mistake.
“An example is Leicester City in England; they are not doing well in the Premier League but have reached the quarter final of the Uefa Champions League.
“They (Leicester City) beat Sevilla from Spain and Sevilla is a very good team that played very well (in both legs of the round of 16 tie).
“Positions in the domestic league is not important; what is important is concentration, determination and setting clear the objective you want to achieve on the day,” he said.
On Sunday, two sides with slightly contrasting football philosophies will clash at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt with the objective of reaching the group stage of Africa’s second-tier club competition. Clearly, something has to give.
CAF Confederation Cup
Further CAF Sanctions await USM Alger and Algerian Football Federation
With the last minute withdrawal of USM Alger from the second leg match of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final against Morocco’s RS Berkane, the Algerian club and the federation will be expecting further sanctions from CAF.
The Algerian team arrived Morocco on Friday for the Sunday scheduled match.
But on match day, first they failed to show up for the traditional warm-up preceding a match and eventually refused to play the match ostensibly on the instruction of the Algerian football federation.
The bone of contention is the outline Morocco map on the RS Berkane jerseys.
According to CAF regulations, “a withdrawal declared by a team after having qualified for the quarter-final and semi-final matches entails, in addition to the loss of the right of entry, a fine of fifty thousand (50,000) US dollars,”
In addition: “any team withdrawing from the competition after the calendar has been established will be prohibited from participating in all CAF interclub competitions for the next two editions following the edition of its withdrawal.”
Furthermore the regulations state: “in the event of a team’s withdrawal, its federation will be responsible for the financial and other consequences to be determined by the Interclub Commission and/or the CAF disciplinary jury”.
CAF Confederation Cup
BREAKING! RS Berkane – USM Alger Confederation Cup return match is called off
Like the first leg match, the return leg match of the semi-final game of Morocco’s RS Berkane and USM Alger of Algeria has been called off.
The Algerians arrived Morocco on Friday but the club has decided to withdraw from the match scheduled for Sunday at 8pm.
The Algerian authorities have recalled USM Alger as the Moroccans will play the match with jerseys that have the full map of the country.
FIFA has not made statement yet on the cancelled second leg match. But a sanction is imminent against the Football federation of Algeria.
A CAF club commission decided to refer the matter to the disciplinary committee for possible additional sanctions against Algerian authorities.
This may possibly include a ban that will see the country out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which has potential of being politicised with the possible qualification of Algeria.
CAF Confederation Cup
Dream aborted for Dreams FC as clinical Zamalek cruise into Confederation Cup final
The dream is over for Dreams FC. The Ghanaian fairytale makers saw their remarkable journey in the CAF Confederation Cup brought to a shuddering halt by the ruthless cutting edge of Zamalek.
After a goalless first leg in Cairo, Hamza Mathlouthi’s early opener set the Egyptian giants on their way to a 3-0 victory in Kumasi that secured their place in the final with an emphatic dismissal of the competition’s surprise package.
Samson Akinyoola’s sumptuous volley and a late Mustafa Shalaby strike put the seal on a professional away performance as Zamalek underlined their status as continental heavyweights.
For Dreams, an inaugural tilt at African club football’s second-tier competition ends with their heads held high, even if this humbling defeat will sting for some time to come.
Having already dumped out Mali heavyweights Stade Malien en route to the last four, the Ghanaians arrived in Kumasi buoyed by belief they could create yet another monumental upset.
Those hopes were swiftly extinguished, however, as Mathlouthi continued his hobby of scoring by powering home a back-post header to silence the fans in Kumasi.
The Tunisian defender had netted in Zamalek’s first leg quarter-final success over Modern Future, he repeated the trick after just 12 minutes to put the White Knights firmly in control of the tie.
Akinyoola’s magical left-footed strike just after the midway point of the first half then left Dreams needing to score three times to keep their dream alive.
Experienced striker John Antwi and young Abdul Aziz Issah fluffed good scoring opportunities to bring Dreams FC back into the game before Zamalek goalkeeper Mohamed Awad pulled two saves to deny the home side.
The outstanding Omar Gaber and the tireless Hossam Abdelmaguid went close to increasing Zamalek’s advantage before the break as Zamalek turned the screw with their trademark mix of power and guile.
Any hopes Dreams harboured of a miraculous comeback were effectively extinguished just before the hour mark, when Shalaby broke his six-month scoring drought in clinical fashion.
The winger had not found the net since October but kept his composure after being slipped in to drill past the helpless Solomon Agbasi and complete the scoring.
For much of the second period it was a case of attack versus defence as Zamalek threatened to run riot while Dreams desperately sought to restore some respectability to the scoreline.
In the end, their historic continental run was ended in abrupt fashion by a Zamalek side painfully clinical on the counter with the Egyptian heavyweights marching on into yet another continental final.
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