CAF Confederation Cup
FOR ENYIMBA, NO EASY DRAW IN CAF CONFEDERATION CUP
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
Enyimba have been given what many fans regarded as the easiest pairing in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals. But that is only a misconception if the performances of the other three group winners and their pedigree in the continent are taken into consideration.
Unlike Egypt’s Pyramids FC (Group A winners), RS Berkane (Group C winners) and Hassania Agadir (Group D winners), who all qualified straight for the continent’s second tier club competition, Horoya won their domestic league last season and therefore started their continental campaign in the elite CAF Champions League.
Horoya beat Mali’s Stade Malien at the preliminary stage of the Champions League but were unlucky against Algerian side JS Kabylie in the first round, and therefore dropped into the Confederation Cup.
In the just concluded group stage of the Confederation Cup, Horoya produced an unbeaten record, winning four of their six matches and sharing honours in the remaining two to garner 14 points.
They were only bettered on points by debutante Pyramids FC of Egypt, who won five games and lost one to pull 15 points.
Morocco’s pair of RS Berkane and Hassania Agadir topped their respective groups with just 11 points.
Again, the trio of Hassania Agadir, RS Berkane and Pyramids FC, all of whom Enyimba will miss in the quarterfinals, have no record that can match that of Horoya in Africa.
Hassania Agadir’s best performance was quarterfinal exit in this tournament last season, while they crashed out in the second round in 2003 and 2004.
RS Berkane qualified for a continental competition for the first time last season and travelled all the way to the final but were beaten by Zamalek via penalties, while Pyramids FC are having their first experience of continental tournament.
Horoya have been among Africa’s big boys in over four decades and won the then African Cup Winners Cup in 1978, in addition to semifinal showings in the same competition in 1979 and 1983.
In recent years, Horoya were quarterfinalists in the last two editions of the Champions League, in which they have posted nine appearances.
Enyimba have no doubt suffered a dip in form since the early 2000s when they were a force in the continent. Winners of the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004, the most decorated Nigerian club exited at the group stage in the next two editions but advanced to the semifinal in 2008 and 2011.
When they returned to that competition three years later, Enyimba were stopped in the first round and got eliminated at the group stage in 2016.
The People’s Elephant have not done well in the Confederation Cup. Semifinalists in 2018, their only other showing was a Round of 16 exit in 2010.
Horoya are not new to Nigerian clubs. Among their victims in their 1978 triumph in the African Cup Winners Cup were 1976 winners Shooting Stars, who they eliminated 3-4 aggregate in the first round.
Horoya however got beaten by Leventis United in the 1985 edition of the African Cup Winners Cup on away goal rule. That was after they had been walked over in the first round of the same competition by Rangers the previous year.
Enyimba will host Horoya in the first leg at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba on March 1 with the reverse fixtures a week later.
If they pull through, Enyimba have either Al-Masry SC of Egypt) or Morocco’s RS Berkane to contend with in the last four.
The other quarterfinal pairing in the Confederation Cup are Zanaco FC (Zambia) versus Pyramids FC (Egypt) and Al-Nasr SC (Libya) versus Hassania Agadir (Morocco).
The draw for the Champions League quarterfinals have title holders Espérance being challenged by Zamalek with the Egyptian side hosting the first leg.
Others are: Al-Ahly (Egypt) versus Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Raja Casablanca (Morocco) versus TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) versus Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia).
CAF Confederation Cup
Shooting Stars, Ikorodu City, in Winner-Takes-All Quest for Confederation Cup ticket
By Kunle Solaja.
The battle for the Nigeria Premier Football League’s remaining CAF Confederation Cup ticket will go down to the wire on the final day of the season, with Shooting Stars and Ikorodu City locked in a tense race for third place.
While title contenders, Enugu Rangers International and Rivers United, have already secured Nigeria’s slots in next season’s CAF Champions League, the contest for the Confederation Cup place remains delicately poised.
Shooting Stars currently occupy third position with 60 points, holding a narrow two-point advantage over fourth-placed Ikorodu City, who sit on 58 points ahead of the 24 May decisive fixtures.
The Ibadan side is in pole position and needs only to avoid defeat away to Niger Tornadoes to confirm a return to continental football next season.
However, Ikorodu City still has a fighting chance of snatching the ticket.
The Lagos-based club must defeat title-chasing Rangers and hope Shooting Stars stumble against Niger Tornadoes to overturn the deficit and leapfrog the Oluyole Warriors into third place.
Their clash against Rangers is expected to rank among the standout fixtures of the final day, with both teams carrying huge ambitions into the encounter.
For Ikorodu City, the situation revives painful memories from last season when they chased a continental ticket from two fronts but ended up empty-handed.
The club narrowly missed out on third place after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to eventual champions Remo Stars in Ikenne on the final day, despite taking the lead in the encounter. The result pushed them down to fourth position.
Their hopes of reaching the continent through the Federation Cup also ended in heartbreak after a penalty shootout loss to Abakaliki FC in the semi-finals following a goalless draw.
Now, with another opportunity within reach, Ikorodu City will hope fortune finally smiles on them as they seek what would be a historic continental qualification.
With the title race, continental qualification battle, and survival struggles all still unresolved, the final day of the NPFL season is set to deliver tension and drama across the country.
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Hosts USM Alger converted a controversial stoppage-time penalty to edge Egyptian giants Zamalek 1-0 in Saturday’s first leg of the African Confederation Cup final at the Stade du 5 Juillet in the Algerian capital Algiers.
Ahmed Khaldi converted the spot kick after Zamalek thought they had snatched a late winner through Brazilian substitute Juan Alvina, who ran half the length of the pitch to tuck away a superb individual effort.
But the strike was ruled out, and play was brought back for a foul in the build-up when VAR found Hossam Abdelmaguid had caught Rayane Mahrouz with a knee in the back.
Early in the second half, Zamalek’s Angolan import Chico Banza had a looping effort over USMA goalkeeper Oussama Benbot cleared off the line by defender Hocine Dehiri
USMA enjoyed fervent support but will now be up against it in Cairo when Zamalek host the second leg next Saturday.
Zamalek previously won the Confederation Cup in 2019 and 2024, while USMA were victors in 2023.
-Reuters
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Two of Africa’s most decorated clubs will renew their continental ambitions on Saturday when USM Alger host Zamalek SC in the first leg of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup final in Algiers.
The eagerly anticipated showdown at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 is expected to set the tone for what promises to be another fiercely contested final in Africa’s secondary club competition, with not only continental prestige at stake but also a record first prize of USD 4 million for the eventual winners.
USM Alger, champions in 2023, will be aiming to reclaim the title they won after edging Tanzania’s Young Africans on away goals in a dramatic two-legged final. The Algerian side booked their place in this season’s final through another tense away-goals triumph, eliminating Morocco’s Olympic Club Safi after a 1-1 aggregate draw.
For Zamalek, the final presents an opportunity to further cement their reputation as one of Africa’s elite clubs. The Egyptian giants lifted the Confederation Cup in 2019 and again in 2024, beating Morocco’s RS Berkane on both occasions after nail-biting aggregate scorelines.
The White Knights also had to navigate a difficult semi-final path this season, edging fellow Algerian side CR Belouizdad 1-0 on aggregate thanks to a crucial away victory inspired by Brazilian forward Juan Alvina.
Recent history suggests little will separate the two finalists. Several Confederation Cup finals in recent years have been decided on away goals or penalties, and another tight contest is widely expected over the two legs.
Saturday’s opening encounter in Algiers will be officiated by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida, while Gabonese official Pierre Atcho will handle the decisive return leg in Cairo on 16 May.
With a passionate home crowd expected behind them, USM Alger will look to establish an advantage before travelling to the intimidating atmosphere of Cairo International Stadium for the second leg.
Zamalek, however, arrive with vast continental experience and a proven ability to thrive under pressure in away fixtures, setting the stage for a compelling battle between North African heavyweights.
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