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LOBI STARS, RANGERS BEGIN JOURNEY TO CONTINENTAL GLORY
BY APESIN ADEMOLA.
Nigerian clubs begin their campaign for continental glory this Wednesday, a day after some of their counterparts across Africa would have kicked off the 2018/19 edition of CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
In order to align with international football calendar, CAF will run its season from August to May next year. The transitional schedule therefore runs from this month and ends next May.
Nigerian teams have failed to do well in Africa in recent years and the federation will therefore have one club in each of the two club competitions. In the CAF Champions League, Premier League winners Lobi Stars will file out on Wednesday at Stade Municipal de Loum, a city in the Littoral Province of Cameroon. Their opponents will be Union des Mouvements Sportifs de Loum (UMS de Loum, for short)
On the same day, Federation Cup champions Enugu Rangers will host Ethiopia’s Defence Force in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Lobi Stars will be playing in Africa for the fifth time in their 37 years existence. It was not until 2000 that the Makurdi-based side first featured in a CAF competition. They were eliminated in that year’s group stage of the CAF Champions League after finishing third among Ghana’s Heart of Oaks, Al-Ahly of Egypt and ASC Jeanne d’Arc of Senegal.
Four years later, Lobi Stars were knocked out at the second round of CAF Confederation Cup, just as they did in 2006 and even performed worse in 2012 with a first round elimination.
Founded in 2011, UMS de Loum won their first Cameroon Cup three years ago by beating former CAF Champions League winners Coton Sport, three-time African Cup of Champions Clubs title holders Canon Sportif de Yaoundé and Union Doula on their way to the final where they defeated Panthère du Ndé 2–0.
The Cameroonian side lost in the preliminary round of CAF Champions League last year and the first round of the Confederation Cup in 2016.
Runners-up behind Coton Sport in the Cameroon top flight concluded last July, UMS de Loum have not had a competitive match since then, while Lobi Stars featured in the Nigerian SuperCup match as recent as last Tuesday beating Federation Cup champions Rangers 1-0 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
In that SuperCup fixture, Lobi Stars tried out new players including Lobi handed starts to new signings Sikiru Alimi (ex-Sunshine Stars), Alex Aghahowa (formerly El-Kanemi Warriors), Chile Azu (from Go Round FC) and Samuel Mathias (El-Kanemi Warriors).
AS Vita Club of DR Congo await the winners of Lobi Stars/UMS de Loum pair in the first round.
For Rangers, they were in continental competition as recent as last year but could not go beyond the first round of the CAF Champions League. The Flying Antelopes managed to beat Algeria’s JS Saoura on away goal rule at the preliminary stage but lost 3-5 aggregate to Zamalek of Egypt in the next round.
Relegated to the Confederation Cup thereafter, Rangers still couldn’t go far as Zambia’s ZESCO United triumphed 5-2 aggregate in the playoff round.
Rangers only hurrah in Africa was winning the CAF Cup Winners Cup in 1977. Ten appearances in the CAF Champions League (including in its precursor, the African Cup of Champions Clubs), four in the Confederation Cup and two in the CAF Cup have seen Rangers gone only as far as the final in 1975 in the African Cup of Champions Clubs.
In the off-season, Rangers acquired new players including Michael Uchebo, who was in the Super Eagles squad to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He re-joined the club after a few years unattached.
Gbenga Ogunbote, a veteran Nigerian coach, lead Rangers who are fired up to win. “We don’t have any option but to win on Wednesday against Defence FC,” goalkeeper Femi Thomas agrees.
The Ethiopian club featured in last year’s CAF Confederation Cup but got knocked out at the preliminary round. Before then, they had travelled as far as the quarterfinals of the 1976 CAF Cup Winners’ Cup. They also got eliminated at the first round in the 1977 edition of the African Cup of Champions Clubs and CAF Confederation Cup in 2007.
Also known as Mekelakeya, Defence Force’s last competitive match was on November 4 when they beat Debub Police 2-1 away in the first match of the 2018/19 Ethiopian Premier League season.
Whoever win between Rangers and their Ethiopian opposition will face either Algeria’s USM Bel Abbès or LISCR (Liberia) in the first round.
Tuesday’s fixtures…
2018/19 CAF Champions League (Preliminary round first leg)
- Volcan Club (Comoros Islands) v African StarsFC (Namibia) (1pm)
- Stade Centrafricaine (Central Africa Republic) v Stade Malien (Mali) (3pm),
- ASAS Djibouti Télécom (Djibouti) v Jimma Aba Jifar (Ethiopia) (4pm)
- ASF Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) v Coton Sport (Cameroon) (4.30 pm)
- AS SONIDEP (Niger Republic) v ZESCO United(Zambia) (4:30pm)
- CS Constantine (Algeria) v GAMTEL (Gambia) (5pm)
- Al-Nasr (Libya) v Al-Hilal Juba (South Sudan) (5pm)
- ASC Diaraf (Senegal) v US Koroki (Togo) (6pm)
- Township Rollers (Botswana) v BantuFC (Lesotho) (6:30pm)
- JS Saoura (Algeria) v SC Gagnoa (Côte d’Ivoire) (7pm)
- Ittihad Tanger (Morocco) v Elect-Sport (Chad) (8pm)
- Al-Hilal (Sudan) v JKUSC (Zanzibar) (8pm)
2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup (Preliminary round first leg)
- Mtibwa Sugar (Tanzania) v Northern Dynamo FC (Seychelles) (2pm)
- Kariobangi Sharks (Kenya) v Arta Solar 7 (Djibouti) (2pm)
- USM Bel Abbès (Algeria) v LISCR (Liberia) (3:30pm)
- FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) v Armed Forces FC (Gambia) (5pm)
- Nouakchott King’s (Mauritania) v Stade d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) (6pm)
- Hassania Agadir (Morocco) v AS GNN (Niger Republic) (6pm)
- NA Hussein Dey (Algeria) v Diables Noirs (Congo Republic) (6pm)
- Salitas FC (Burkina Faso) v WakiryaAC (Guinea) (7pm)
- Petro de Luanda (Angola) v Orapa United (Botswana)
- Green Eagles (Zambia) v Young Buffaloes (eSwatini)
- Ashanti Kotoko SC (Ghana) v Eding Sport (Cameroon) (Ashanti Kotoko SC gain walkover)
Wednesday’s fixtures…
2018/19 CAF Champions League (Preliminary round first leg)
- UMS de Loum(Cameroon) v Lobi Stars (Nigeria) (3:30pm)
- CNaPS Sport (Madagascar) v FC Platinum (Zimbabwe) (12:30pm)
- Le Messager Ngozi (Burundi) v Ismaily (Egypt) (2pm)
- UD Songo (Mozambique) v Nkana(Zambia) (2pm)
- Simba (Tanzania) v Mbabane Swallows (eSwatini) (2pm)
- APR FC (Rwanda) v Club Africain (Tunisia) (2:30pm)
- Leones Vegetarianos (Equatorial Guinea) v Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) (3pm)
- 1º de Agosto (Angola) v AS Otôho(Congo Republic) (4pm)
- Gor Mahia (Kenya) v Nyasa Big Bullets (Malawi)(5pm)
- ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) v AS Mangasport (Gabon) (5pm)
- FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) v Al-Ahly Benghazi (Libya) (6pm)
- Horoya (Guinea) v Barrack Young Controllers (Liberia) (6pm)
- Orlando Pirates (South Africa) v Light Stars FC (Seychelles) (6.30pm)
- Al-Merrikh (Sudan) v Vipers (Uganda) (both 6:30pm)
2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup (Preliminary round first leg)
- Enugu Rangers (Nigeria) v Defence Force SC (Ethiopia) (4pm)
- Miracle Club (Comoros Islands) v Al-Ittihad (Libya) (1pm)
- Free State Stars (South Africa) v Mukura Victory Sports (Rwanda) (2pm)
- Green Buffaloes (Zambia) v Al-Merreikh Juba FC (South Sudan) (2pm)
- New Star FC (Cameroon) v Vital’O FC (Burundi) (3pm)
- AS CotonTchad (Chad) v Gomido FC (Togo) (3.30pm)
- DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo) v Anges de Fatima (Central Africa Republic) (3.30pm)
- Cercle Mbéri Sportif (Gabon) v Silver StrikersFC (Malawi) (3:30pm)
- Génération Foot (Senegal) v Djoliba (Mali) (5:30pm)
- Al-Ahly Shendi (Sudan) v AS Nyuki (DR Congo) (6pm)
- Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) v Zimamoto FC (Zanzibar) (6:30pm)
- ASSM Elgeco Plus (Madagascar) v Deportivo Unidad (Equatorial Guinea) (6.30pm)
An unspecified number of Nigerian journalists travelling to Uyo for Friday’s Nigeria versus Libya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match have been rescued.
This is contained in a press release by the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Thursday. The association commended the Nigerian security forces for their efforts in the rescue operation.
From the press release, it was gathered that the media men were abducted within the Anambra and Imo states axis.
”SWAN therefore commends the security operatives, particularly the Nigerian Army and Police for their prompt action which ensured that up to six of the held Sports Journalists regained their freedom with efforts to get the remaining person freed”, reads the SWAN statement.
German coach Juergen Klopp has been appointed head of global soccer for Red Bull, owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, the company said on Wednesday, in his first job since leaving Liverpool earlier this year.
Klopp, who ended his successful nine-year stint with Liverpool at the end of last season, will be starting on January 1, 2025.
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” Klopp, who also coached Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, said in a statement.
“The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
The 57-year-old joined Liverpool in October 2015 and won the Champions League, their first English League title since 1990, the Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Super Cup, as well as the Community Shield during his time in charge.
Klopp, who also led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup and a Champions League final in 2013, had announced in January he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria, the company said.
“He will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” Red Bull said.
Klopp will also support the organisation’s global scouting operation, and contribute to the training and development of coaches.
“I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more,” Klopp said.
Some German media reported his Red Bull contract included an exit clause for the post of Germany national team coach.
Klopp has long been linked to that job, especially after his successful stint at Liverpool and with Germany struggling to make an impact on the international stage in the past decade.
-Reuters
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine, from Cape Verde, as referee for Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, close to Benghazi.
He will be assisted by compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes (assistant referee 1) and Jorge Santos Fonseca Aritson (assistant referee 2), with Hamidou Diero from Burkina Faso as fourth official.
Amir Abdi Hassan from Somalia will be in the role of commissioner, with Malian Dramane Dante as referee assessor and Rachid Medjiba from Algeria as security officer.
Tuesday’s encounter, which is at the back-end of a double header between both nations, will kick off at 9pm Libya time (8pm Nigeria time).
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