CAF Confederation Cup
Debutants, Remo Stars know continental opponents on Monday
Remo Stars, second runners-up in the Nigeria professional Football League will on Monday get to know their first opponent in the CAF Confederation Cup which is scheduled to begin on 9 September.
Remo Stars, new comers in the second tier continental competition earned their place having placed third in the Nigerian league which produces two teams for the elite Champions League and one slot for the Confederation Cup.
Nigeria’s second slot for the competition will emerge from the ongoing Aiteo Cup.
Remo Stars will be the 23rd Nigerian team to feature after the debut by Lobi Stars and Enugu Rangers when the competition began in 2004 following the merger of the then CAF Cup and African Winners Cup.
This year’s edition will be the 20th. The club will be navigating dangerous curves where big Nigerian teams such as Enugu Rangers, Enyimba, Dolphins among others have failed.
Only Dolphins ever got to the final. But Remo Stars are set to break barriers. Ahead of the impending challenge, the Remo Stars Stadium is currently undergoing a face lift.
Press Conference room and well demarcated press gallery are being put in place ahead of a likely inspection of a CAF team.
When they play their first match of the competition there, it will be the biggest match ever in the town as it would be the first time that the town will be host an international match.
For the state, it will be the first continental match by a team from the state since the 1 November 1987 match involving Abiola Babes and Esperance in Abeokuta.
With injection of new players and the running of a thriving football academy, Remo Stars have improved on their arsenal of the last season.
Daniel Ogunmodede who guided the team from the NNL into the NPFL in the previous season has also returned from a ‘one-year coaching study leave’ in Portugal.
All ears will be attentive at 2pm in Nigeria on Monday as the first opponents of Remo Stars will emerge.
The ceremony will hold at the 6 October City headquarters of CAF at the outskirts of Cairo.
Zamalek commenced their CAF Confederation Cup journey with a 1-0 win over Kenya’s Police in the initial leg of the second preliminary round held in Nairobi this Saturday.
Veteran winger Abdallah El-Saied secured the win for the Whites with a precise strike from outside the box just a minute before halftime.
The Cairo giants, winners of the 2023-2024 CAF Confederation Cup title, started the match with relentless pressure on the hosts to clinch victory in the first leg and alleviate pressure before the upcoming return fixture in Cairo next Friday.
“The most important thing for us was to win and achieve our target,” Zamalek coach Gomes said after the game.
Hosts Police FC of Kenya could not breach Zamalek’s resolute defense in search of an equalizer.
Despite notable summer acquisitions, Zamalek’s coach Jose Gomes opted for a standard lineup, integrating young talents in lieu of seasoned players.
“We are now stronger than the previous season, thanks to spending more time with the team and preparing to play in the tournaments that we will participate in,” the Portuguese coach added.
Conversely, Kenya’s Police FC squandered a clear scoring opportunity against Zamalek, missing a crucial chance fifteen minutes before the final whistle, dashing hopes of leveling the score.
Kenya’s Police FC earned their place in this round following a hard-fought 1-0 aggregate victory over Ethiopia Coffee SC.
-Ahram
Nigeria’s Enyimba played a thrilling 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso’s Etoile Filante in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second round tie in Bamako on Friday.
There have been three previous confrontation with Burkina Faso teams and this Friday encounter was the second time that Enyimba had had to face Etoile Filante.
According to facts supplied by Opta Nigeria, Etoile Filante were Enyimba’s first ever opponent on the continent 22 years ago in March 2002. Ever since, Enyimba have played 157 times on the continent; the highest by any Nigerian club.
Enyimba carry their advantage to the return leg to be played on 22 September.
Nigeria’s sole survivors in the CAF Confederation Cup,Enyimba will face Burkina Faso sides, Etoile de Filante in the second round of the competition.
Enyimba drew bye in the preliminary round while the Burkina Faso team reached the second round after eliminating Hafia of Guinea.
Enyimba, second runners-up in the Nigerian League will be attempting to win the Confederation Cup for the first time for Nigeria as they did in the Champions League 21 years ago.
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