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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)
By Kunle Solaja, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Sunday after becoming only the sixth player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final.
Fernandez was shown a straight red card in the third minute of added time during Argentina’s final against Spain after a reckless challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. The dismissal came after the Argentine had earlier been booked for simulation, capping a frustrating evening for the midfielder.
His red card also means Argentina have now produced two players who have been sent off in World Cup finals, more than any other nation.
Sports Village Square recalls that the first-ever red card in a FIFA World Cup final was issued to Argentina’s Pedro Monzón during the 1990 final against West Germany at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Monzón was dismissed as Argentina went on to lose 1-0. In the same match, teammate Gustavo Dezotti was also sent off, making it the only World Cup final to feature two expulsions from the same team.
Fernandez now joins an exclusive and unwanted list of players dismissed in football’s biggest match.
The players sent off in FIFA World Cup finals are:
- Pedro Monzón (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Gustavo Dezotti (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Marcel Desailly (France) vs Brazil, 1998
- Zinedine Zidane (France) vs Italy, 2006
- John Heitinga (Netherlands) vs Spain, 2010
- Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) vs Spain, 2026
History has rarely been kind to teams reduced to 10 men in the World Cup final. Except France in 1998, when Marcel Desailly was dismissed late in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brazil, every team that has had a player sent off in the final has ended up on the losing side.
Fernandez’s dismissal therefore added another chapter to one of the tournament’s most exclusive and unfortunate records, reinforcing the trend that a red card in the World Cup final has almost always been accompanied by defeat.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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olabode Samuel
November 27, 2018 at 10:40 am
Thanks for information but please try to always provide correct information hence verify your news very well before publishing.
Lobi Fcis not meeting Vita fc in the second round. the club will meet the winner between Gor-Mahia fc of Kenya and Nyasa Big Bulletts of Malawi in December, 2018. Please correct this information. Thanks