CAF Confederation Cup
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP: ENYIMBA START GROUP STAGE IN MOROCCO; RANGERS AT HOME
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
When the group stage of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup kicks off on December 1, Nigerian champions Enyimba will be away to Morocco’s Hassania Agadir, while Rangers, who were knocked out at the group phase last year, will host another north African team, Pyramids FC of Egypt.
The draw for the group phase of the continent’s second tier club competition had earlier been conducted at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, placing Enyimba in Group D and Rangers in Group A.
Enyimba, CAF Champions League winners in 2003 and 2004, also have in Group D FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) and Paradou AC (Algeria). The Ivorien side will host the encounter against the Algerian club.
Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou will be at home against Al-Masry SC of Egypt in Group A where Rangers feature. .
In the other groups, Horoya of Guinea, winners of CAF Cup Winners Cup in 1978 and veterans of the continent’s club competitions, will be away to South Africa’s Bidvest Wits on Matchday 1 in Group B, while Al-Nasr SC (Libya) will welcome Mali’s Djoliba at a venue to be determined later.
In Group C, last year’s finalists Morocco’s RS Berkane will be at home to Benin Republic’s ESAE on Matchday 1, on the same day Zambia’s Zanaco FC will be away to Daring Club Motema Pembe in DR Congo.
The group stage will be concluded on March 6, next year with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
Enyimba were the last Nigerian team to advance beyond the group stage of this competition. And that was in 2018 when the People’s Elephant reached the semifinals but lost 1-3 aggregate to eventual winners Raja Casablanca.
Matchday 1
Group A:
Rangers (Nigeria) v Pyramids FC (Egypt)
FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) v Al-Masry SC (Egypt)
Group B:
Bidvest Wits (South Africa) v Horoya (Guinea)
Al-Nasr SC (Libya) v Djoliba SC (Mali)
Group C:
RS Berkane (Morocco) v ESAE (Benin Republic)
Daring Club Motema Pembe (DR Congo) v Zanaco FC (Zambia)
Group D:
Hassania Agadir (Morocco) v Enyimba (Nigeria)
FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) v Paradou AC (Algeria)
Matchday 2
Group A:
Al-Masry SC v Rangers
Pyramids FC v FC Nouadhibou
Group B:
Djoliba SC v Bidvest Wits
Horoya v Al-Nasr SC
Group C:
Zanaco FC v RS Berkane
ESAE v Daring Club Motema Pembe
Group D:
Enyimba v Paradou AC
Hassania Agadir v FC San Pédro
Matchday 3
Group A:
Rangers v FC Nouadhibou
Pyramids FC v Al-Masry SC
Group B:
Bidvest Wits v Al-Nasr SC
Horoya v Djoliba SC
Group C:
RS Berkane v Daring Club Motema Pembe
ESAE v Zanaco FC
Group D:
Hassania Agadir v Enyimba
Paradou AC v FC San Pédro
Matchday 4
Group A:
FC Nouadhibou v Rangers
Al-Masry SC v Pyramids FC
Group B:
Al-Nasr SC v Bidvest Wits
Djoliba SC v Horoya
Group C:
Daring Club Motema Pembe v RS Berkane
Zanaco FC v ESAE
Group D:
Enyimba v Hassania Agadir
FC San Pédro v Paradou AC
Matchday 5:
Group A: Pyramids FC v Rangers
Al-Masry SC v FC Nouadhibou
Group B:
Horoya v Bidvest Wits
Djoliba SC v Al-Nasr SC
Group C:
ESAE v RS Berkane
Zanaco FC v Daring Club Motema Pembe
Group D:
Enyimba v Hassania Agadir
Paradou AC v FC San Pédro
Matchday 6
Group A: Rangers v Al-Masry SC
FC Nouadhibou v Pyramids FC
Group B:
Bidvest Wits v Djoliba SC,
Al-Nasr SC v Horoya
Group C:
RS Berkane v Zanaco FC
Daring Club Motema Pembe v ESAE
Group D:
Paradou AC v Enyimba
FC San Pédro v Hassania Agadir
—
CAF Confederation Cup
‘Nzogbu Nzogbu’ Enyimba enyi as Enyimba limp into Confederation Cup Group stage!
It was not easy, but the end justified the means. Enyimba had to go through the lottery of penalty shoot-out to get into the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday in Uyo after playing a barren draw with visiting Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso.
The first leg also ended goalless leading to penalty shoot-out as tie breaker. Enyimba won 3-2 on penalties.
Enyimba FC head coach Yemi Olarenwaju has set his sights on securing a crucial victory in Sunday’s second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup tie against Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou.
His confidence is built on the goalless draw in the first leg in Bamako.
“The job is far from over, and we can’t afford to celebrate yet. The return leg in Uyo will be crucial,” Olarenwaju was quoted by the club’s website as saying.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board, work harder, and prepare for the challenge ahead.”
Olarenwaju praised his team’s tactical edge and discipline, which nullified the hosts’ attacking threats. “We had a clear game plan, and the players executed it perfectly. Our tactical discipline prevented Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou from creating any meaningful scoring opportunities.”
The Enyimba FC boss acknowledged the tough opposition but remains confident in his team’s ability to secure a win at home.
“Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou is a formidable opponent, but we have the quality and determination to get the job done in Uyo.”
As we look forward to the return leg, we urge all Enyimba FC fans to come out in their numbers and support the team at the Uyo Stadium. Let’s make our home advantage count and cheer the People’s Elephant to victory!
Enyimba’s midfielder, Daniel Daga, has pledged to lead club to victory against Etoile Filante in the return leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second round on Sunday.
The People’s Elephant are looking to build on their impressive performance in the first leg, which ended in a goalless draw in Bamako, Mali. Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Enyimba were unable to find the back of the net.
However, Daga remains optimistic about their chances in the return leg having missed the first leg of the encounter due to a slight knock
“Our resolve is to win and advance to the group stages,” he stated confidently. “We understand that they are a difficult opponent, but we have just one task, which is to win, and that is exactly what we are going to do.”
A win for Enyimba FC would guarantee their spot in the group stages, a feat that would make them the only Nigerian team in the competition’s group phase.
“We know the importance of this match, and we’re ready to give it our all,” Daga added. “We want to make Nigeria proud and show that we’re a force to be reckoned with in African football.”
Head coach, Yemi Olarenwaju, has been fine-tuning his tactics, and the team is eager to execute their game plan.
“The first leg result gives us an advantage, but we won’t take anything for granted,” Olarenwaju said. “We’ll push for victory and secure our spot in the group stages.”
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