CAF Confederation Cup
SIMEON BOLAJI SAKIN , A FREE-SCORING NIGERIAN WHO COULD BRING ENYIMBA DOWN
Nigeria-born striker Sakin Bolaji would in footballing terms be a ‘public enemy number one’ when his Horoya Athletic Club of Guinea tackle Enyimba in the CAF Confederation Cup quarter final first leg tie in Aba on Sunday.
The 25-year-old free scoring
striker from South-Western part of Nigeria started his professional football
career with Abia Warriors en route to playing in the Nigerian topflight with
Wikki Tourists and Rivers United.
“Of course, I have scored against Enyimba before and I think that was in a league match played in Bauchi when I was with Wikki Tourists,” Bolaji, the moustachioed striker, told CAFOnline.com.
“I just love the style (wearing beards) and it sort of gives me some confidence as a man.”
The broad-shouldered Bolaji indeed cuts a courageous image and could be said to be a proof to the postulation that men that wear beards are dominant and rugged.
Incidentally, Bolaji has shown his scoring prowess since he joined Horoya in 2017 from Rivers United.
In his first season with Horoya, Bolaji scored seven goals and notched ten the following season – the year that coincided with the club’s domestic treble when they won the Guinea Ligue 1; Guinea National Cup and Guinea Super Cup.
Though he has yet to score a goal in the current campaign occasioned by an injury lay-off, he is racing against fitness ahead of the eagerly awaited quarter final battle against Enyimba.
“I’m yet to score this season because I was injured at the beginning of the CAF Confederation Cup campaign.
“I am back to full fitness and have featured in two matches,” explained Bolaji who scored two goals in the 2017 Total CAF Confederation Cup for Rivers United against Uganda’s KCCA and Morocco’s FUS Rabat.
“I have no scoring secrets other than hard work and assisting my team to score.
“I will be happy to score against Enyimba in Aba in front of some of my friends and family members that will come for the match.
“It is an important to my team and even more important to me also; we know about Enyimba pedigree both in Nigeria and on the continent but I’m confident we are going to get a good result,” posited Bolaji who revels in the joy of being the first Nigerian to play for Horoya.
Horoya, fondly called ‘HAC’ remain one of the most-feared Guinea side in Nigeria; and older generation would certainly recall with nostalgia how they bundled out Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan on their way to winning the now defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1978.
The Guinean side actually overcame a 3-1 first leg defeat to dispatch Shooting Stars 4-3 on aggregate after they pummelled the Nigerian side 3-0 in the reverse fixture.
“Horoya are still a very strong force and that is one of the reasons I joined them from Rivers United,” Bolaji, who comes from a large family of nine children, told CAFOnline.com.
“I have experienced both the good and bad times since I came here (Conakry) but the most important thing for me is that I have been playing in the continental competitions since I joined Horoya in 2017.
“There’s little difference between Horoya and many Nigerian teams but I can say Horoya is more organised and very consistent in CAF competitions.”
The Guinea champions have shown such consistency in intervening years since 2002 when they have qualified to play on the continent and have currently achieved a near invincibility without losing any of their six games in the mini-league as they romped to the top of Group B with an impressive 14 points out of available 18.
“I’m happy we are in the quarter finals of the CAF Confederation Cup,” said Bolaji, who had a couple of goals to his name in the 2018/2019 Total CAF Champions League.
“Qualifying to play in the CAF Champions League in my first season was such a great experience and one of the unforgettable moments for me since being here was the dramatic manner we beat Al Nasr of Libya in the first round.
“We were written off after we lost 3-0 to Al Nasr in Cairo but we won 6-2 back home in Conakry and I scored two of the goals and made one assist.
“This is the kind of mentality we have here at Horoya and it will propel us against any team.
“The match against Enyimba in Aba will be tough but what I know is that we are going to get a positive result ahead of the second leg in Conakry,” affirmed the all-action Bolaji who is a huge fan of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
–cafonline
A high-stakes Moroccan derby between Olympique de Safi and Wydad Casablanca will headline the quarter-final stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup, following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), mapped out the path to the final for the eight remaining contenders, setting up intriguing North African and Central African showdowns.
All-Moroccan Clash Guarantees Semi-Final Spot
Olympique de Safi will host Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their tie, ensuring that Morocco will have at least one representative in the semi-finals. The clash pits two sides familiar with each other domestically, adding extra intensity to what is already a decisive knockout encounter.
Egyptian and Algerian Heavyweights in Action
Egyptian giants Zamalek SC will begin their campaign away to Congo’s AS Otoho, a tie that sees the five-time African champions seeking another continental crown.
Meanwhile, Al Masry SC will host Algeria’s CR Belouizdad in the first leg, in what promises to be a tightly contested North Africa battle.
In another compelling fixture, AS Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo will take on Algeria’s USM Alger, as the Congolese side looks to capitalise on home advantage in the opening leg.
Quarter-Final Fixtures
- QF1: Al Masry (Egypt) vs CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
- QF2: Olympique de Safi (Morocco) vs Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- QF3: AS Otoho (Congo) vs Zamalek SC (Egypt)
- QF4: AS Maniema Union (DR Congo) vs USM Alger (Algeria)
The quarter-final first legs are scheduled for 15 March, with return fixtures set for 22 March.
Semi-Final Pathway Confirmed
The draw also determined the semi-final bracket:
- SF1: Winner of AS Maniema Union vs USM Alger will host the first leg against the winner of Olympique de Safi vs Wydad Casablanca.
- SF2: Winner of Al Masry vs CR Belouizdad will host the first leg against the winner of AS Otoho vs Zamalek SC.
The semi-finals will be played on 12 April (first leg) and 19 April (second leg).
The team advancing from the semi-finals will host the first leg of the final on 9 May, with the decisive second leg scheduled for 16 May.
With regional rivalries, heavyweight pedigrees, and emerging contenders all in the mix, the knockout stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup promises high drama as clubs across North and Central Africa vie for continental glory.
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the quarter-final draws for the 2025/26 editions of its two flagship interclub competitions — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
The CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League quarter-final draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on CAF’s official YouTube platform, CAF TV, allowing fans across the continent and beyond to follow proceedings in real time.
Road to the Finals Takes Shape
The draws will determine not only the quarter-final pairings but also the pathway to the finals in both competitions, effectively mapping out the remaining knockout journey for Africa’s elite clubs.
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-finals mark the beginning of direct elimination football — a phase traditionally defined by tactical discipline, squad depth and mental resilience. Clubs will be keenly watching the draw to gauge potential heavyweight clashes or favourable routes to the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, former title holders and emerging contenders alike will be hoping to avoid early confrontations against continental heavyweights. Similarly, in the Confederation Cup, where competitive balance has grown in recent seasons, the draw could produce intriguing North-South or West-East showdowns.
Strategic Importance for Clubs
Beyond sporting prestige, progression to the latter stages of CAF competitions carries significant financial incentives, enhanced continental ranking points and increased global visibility. With African club football enjoying expanded broadcast reach and commercial partnerships, success in these tournaments has become both a sporting and economic objective.
Hosting the draws at the Egyptian FA headquarters in Cairo reinforces the city’s status as a nerve centre of African football administration, as clubs await clarity on their next assignments in what promises to be a decisive knockout phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
All eyes will now turn to Cairo as Africa’s road to continental glory becomes clearer.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek, Kaizer Chiefs Drawn Together as CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Unveiled
The draw for the group phase of this season’s African Confederation Cup conducted in Johannesburg on Monday:
Group A: USM Alger (Algeria), Djoliba (Mali), Olympique Safi (Morocco), San Pedro (Ivory Coast)
Group B: Azam (Tanzania), Maniema Union (DR Congo), Nairobi United (Kenya), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
Group C: Chabab Belouizdad (Algeria), AS Otoho (Congo) Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Stellenbosch (South Africa)
Group D: Al Masry (Egypt), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), Zamalek (Egypt), Zesco United (Zambia)
The top two finishers in each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals in March.
The group phase starts on Sunday November 23 and will continue through to mid-February.
-Reuters
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