CAF Confederation Cup
HOW RANGERS’ FOES WILL EMERGE AT CAF CONFEDERATION CUP
BY APESIN ADEMOLA.
Rangers will know their opponents in the group stage of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup when the draw is conducted in Cairo this Monday from 1pm (West African time).
The Flying Antelopes, who won the Nigerian Federation Cup last year to qualify for this competition, are placed in the least section (Pot 4) along with AS Otôho (Congo Republic), Ashante Kotoko SC (Ghana) and Hassania Agadir (Morocco).
They are guaranteed to avoid those three teams in the group stage.
Rangers’ three group stage opponents can come from either defending champions Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia), Zamalek (Egypt), ZESCO United (Zambia) or Raja Casablanca (Morocco), all top seeds in the draw.
One other team will
also come from Pot 2 which features Al-Hilal (Sudan), CS Sfaxien
(Tunisia), RS Berkane (Morocco) and Gor Mahia (Kenya).
In Pot 3, which will also produce a team for Rangers’ group, are Nkana (Zambia), NA Hussein Dey (Algeria), Petro de Luanda (Angola) and Ranger (Burkina Faso).
Raja Casablanca, the defending champions, entered the competition this time in the first round where they dispatched Gabon’s Cercle Mbéri Sportif 5-1 aggregate before eliminating African Stars of Namibia 2-1 aggregate in the play-off round. Raja also won the title in 2003.
On their way to lifting the trophy last month, Raja stopped Nigeria’s representatives Enyimba in the last four by winning both in Aba and in Casablanca 3-1 overall.
Étoile du Sahel, the team with the highest ranking among the group stage qualifiers, stopped the march of Plateau United, the then Nigerian champions, in the first round of the 2017/18 CAF Champions League 4-3 aggregate.
But Enyimba had eliminated Étoile du Sahel in the second round of the 2015/16 CAF Champions League. Both teams ended the two legs 3-3 but the People’s Elephant triumphed 4-3 penalties only to get kicked out in the group stage.
That CAF Champions League elimination of Enyimba was the most recent encounter between Zamalek, another of team in Pot 1, and any Nigerian team. The Egyptian side won their two fixtures against Enyimba 1-0 either way to leave Enyimba at the foot of the group’s table.
Gor Mahia, one of the teams in Pot 2, fell to Nigerian champions Lobi Stars on away goal difference in the first round of this season’s CAF Champions League, which led to their relegation to the Confederation Cup. Having survived the play-off round, the draw may pitch the Kenya side against yet another Nigerian team – Rangers.
For Sudan’s Al-Hilal, who are in Pot 2, they stopped Akwa United on away goal rule in the playoff round of the 2017/18 CAF Confederation Cup.
In the 2012/13 CAF Confederation Cup, Rangers were to face CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in the playoff round. The Nigerian team won the first leg at home 1-0 but CAF ruled that they fielded an ineligible player in the second leg and therefore got disqualified.
The group stage will run from February 3 to March 17 with six matches played in each of the four groups.
The top two teams in each of group will play the quarterfinals in April.
The two-legged finals will hold in May.
Moroccan side, Renaissance Sportive de Berkane secured a third continental title after drawing against Tanzania’s Simba Sports Club (2-0 in the first leg, 1-1 in the return).
Moroccan football’s representatives had the privilege of being the first to lift the new CAF trophy.
It is the fifth time they have played the final match of the competition, and they were successful in 2020 and 2022. In the return leg of the final match this Sunday, Berkane overcame challenges put in their way ahead of the match at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
The match got off to a flying start, with the hosts dominating, determined to open the scoring in the opening minutes of play. Once again, Berkane retreated into defence, a far cry from the spirit displayed in the first leg.
It took about fifteen minutes for Mouine Chaâbani’s men to truly get into the game.
While they launched their first dangerous attack, a missed opportunity in front of the opposing goal cost them dearly. On the ensuing counterattack, Simba’s Zambian striker, Joshua Mutale, beat goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi in the 17th minute.
The second half resumed with the same intensity, but the tension rose, especially after Simba attacking midfielder Yusuph Kagoma was sent off for a second yellow card.
Berkane then took a numerical advantage and regained control of the game.
Stung to the quick, the home side continued to engage in skirmishes, but without any real threat to goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi.
Yet, even with ten men down, Simba’s players gave the Berkanis a hard time, posing several threats.
Deliverance finally came in the 93rd minute thanks to Mamadou Lamine Camara, who scored the equaliser, in a closely contested duel, in a packed stadium, and under the eyes of Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the FRMF, as well as Walid Regragui, national coach.
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RS Berkane head coach Moine Chaabani says his side is fully focused and prepared for Sunday’s second leg of the Confederation Cup final against Tanzania’s Simba SC, as they seek to secure a third continental title.
The Moroccan club takes a 2-0 lead into the return leg at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar following an early double from Mamadou Camara and Oussama Lamlaoui in the first leg in Berkane.
Speaking ahead of the crucial clash, Chaabani emphasized that his players have left nothing to chance.
“We are focused on the match, and we must adapt to all circumstances, no matter how difficult,” he said during the pre-match press conference.
“We came here to play a 90-minute match, and there is no room for distraction.”
The Tunisian tactician, who led the team to last year’s final only to suffer defeat against Zamalek, underlined the hunger within the squad to go one step further this time.
“We have worked hard since that disappointment, and today we are even more determined to win the title and bring the cup back to Morocco.”
RS Berkane will be boosted by the availability of key players Haitham Manout and Paul Valery, although final decisions on their involvement will be made after the last training session.
“All players are present. The decision on their participation will depend on their readiness,” he added.
Chaabani also pointed to his side’s growing experience in navigating difficult African environments, saying they are mentally conditioned for the high-stakes occasion.
“We have a strong immune system to handle these conditions, and we will manage our physical effort according to the match’s progress,” he said.
“We hope to rise to the occasion and succeed in pleasing the Berkane fans, who always support us, to win the title.”
The return leg kicks off at 13:00 GMT on Sunday. A draw or even a narrow defeat by a one-goal margin will be enough for Berkane to lift the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup trophy.
-CAF
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Following a 2-0 win for RS Berkane over Simba SC in the first leg of the 2024-25 CAF Confederation Cup Final in Berkane, Morocco, attention will turn to the return fixture on the island of Zanzibar this Sunday.
The match will be played at Amaan Stadium at 16h00 local time (13h00 GMT) and will be live across all CAF’s broadcast partners, including Azam Media, beIN Sport, Canal+, SuperSport, SABC and several other global platforms.
RS Berkane go to the second leg with the advantage after early goals from Mamadou Camara and Oussama Lamlaoui at home, but Simba SC have shown plenty of fighting spirit already this campaign and will be confident of overturning the deficit.
The winners of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup will be awarded a new trophy that will be unveiled later this week.
CAF and host club Simba SC are working closely together to ensure that the event in Zanzibar is a success.
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