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

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