CAF Confederation Cup
Soname, Awo and Remo Revolution!
BY EMEKA OBASI
Let me begin by apologising to Kunle Soname, the man behind Remo Stars of Ikenne. He meant nothing to me until his boys earned a 1-1 draw in Rabat from FAR, Morocco in the CAF Confederation Cup.
That outcome means a lot because the poorly remunerated Nigerian league has produced clubs whose best in North Africa for over a decade now is disgrace.
Remo Stars are very new on the continent. That game was their debut and it took place at the 53,000 capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium where Super Falcons lost controversially to the Red Atlas Lionesses in the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo built the first mega stadium in Nigeria. The Liberty Stadium which was renamed after the former Premier of the Western Region, was declared open in 1960.
Awo hailed from Ikenne, I did not consider the town worthy of attention. Sorry, there are my good friends Kunle and Femi Solaja, sportswriters.
Kunle has covered all FIFA World Cups since Italia ’90. He is married to Obiageli Edoga, a former national champion. The Solajas are from Ikenne.
Awo’s Liberty Stadium hosted the first World boxing title fight in Africa, on August 10, 1963. Dick Tiger Ihetu beat Gene Fulmer to retain the Middleweight belt.
Soname is taking Africa to Ikenne. Awo exposed Ibadan to the world. The two towns are not far apart. FAR ( Forces Armees Royales) will be at the Remo Stadium for the second leg match this Weekend.
Remo Stars have shown so much character. The Moroccans were CAF Champions League winners in 1985, the first by the country, and lifted the Confederation Cup in 2005.
Dolphins of Port Harcourt were in killer form in 2005. They dethroned defending champions Accra Hearts of Oak and were unbeaten in the group stage.
Dolphins played in Group B alongside two Egyptian teams, Arab Contractors and Ismaili and remained unbeaten. Their star, Kelechi Osunwa had seven goals to his name.
FAR had beaten Enugu Rangers 1-0 in Rabat in the second round. The North Africans did not boast of a striker in the class of Osunwa. When they met Dolphins in the final, they won 3-0 in Rabat after falling 1-0 in Port Harcourt.
Dolphins goalie, Chijioke Ejiogu ( Arugo monkey) would not forget that duel in Rabat. It was the second time he would be beaten thrice in a continental final.
In 2003, Ejiogu was in goal for Julius Berger when Etoile Sportif Sahel beat the Lagosians 3-0 to win the last CAF Cup. Those three goals were scored by a Nigerian, Ogochukwu Obiakor.
The Moroccan soldiers are tough. In 1988, Iwuanyanwu National escaped by a whisker in the CAF Champions League. In the Owerri first leg, a brace by Mike Obi and two goals from Uwakwe Eke and Law Ukegbu gave the Naze Millionaires a 4-1 edge.
Two weeks later in Rabat, FAR were fantastic, scoring four goals. Toyin Ayinla’s strike in the 21st minute saved the day. It ended 4-1. With aggregate scores at 5 -5, Iwuanyanwu relied on 4-5 penalties to advance to the finals.
The FAR story in Rabat is a long one. In 1968, Stationery Stores defeated them 1-0 in Lagos. The return leg ended 2-1. CAF had no away goal rule at the time so the game had to be decided by toss of the coin after a draw in Dakar.
That was the year of Nigeria’s CAF Champion’s League debut. Stores were unlucky. Their opponents moved on.
Remo Stars should be applauded. The three best Nigerian clubs could not get a favourable result in their first visit to North Africa. They all conceded more than one goal.
Rangers fell 3-1 to Mehalla in 1975. Keeper Emma Okala had trouble with his sight and was replaced by Francis Azuokwu. Shooting Stars were beaten 2-0 by Zamalek in 1976 while Enyimba got a 6-1 drubbing from Ismaili in 2003. Goalie Vincent Enyeama lost the captain’s band.
Remo earned a 1-1 draw. Their coach, Daniel Ogunmodede is a home boy. Frenchman, Fernando Da Cruz is FAR manager. His place of birth, Villeneuve d’ Ascq is familiar. That was where Mary Onyali set an African record of 22.31 seconds in the 200 metres, 1989.
We must salute Soname. He owns Value Jet airlines. Remo Stars enjoyed their flight from Lagos to Rabat. It showed in the outcome of the encounter. Other Nigerian teams would first fly to Europe before connecting a flight.
In 1988, Iwuanyanwu spent an extra week in Rabat because of confusion over flight arrangement. They ran out of cash and had to be fed by Morrocan officials.
Soname is prepared for the best of soccer. He is chairman of Portuguese second division club, Feirense. Something remarkable here. The Europeans played in the top division but were relegated thrice. That is also the story of Remo Stars.
The Ikenne boys are called Sky Blue Stars. Feirense are known as Blues from the Feira. Someday like Remo, they will move up to the Primeira Liga.
Soname has built an ultra modern stadium for Remo. Facilities there are world class. The players are not complaining. The results are impressive. Stars like Ogbonnaya Okemiri who won the CAF Champions League twice with Enyimba and Olise Ndah, Confederation Cup 2022 finalist with Orlando Pirates, are ex- Sky Blue Stars.
From humble beginnings in Ketu as FC Dender, the Stars are shining, through Remo to Africa. Soname played politics and spent eight years as chairman, Ikosi – Isheri Local Government Council, Lagos.
I hated betting but because of Soname’s giant stride, I will hate no more. He is chairman Bet9ja. And if such marvelous job could come from kalokalo, I have joined them. Check me out at Ikenne.
–https://www.nextedition.com.ng/
CAF Confederation Cup
Owolabi Blames Overconfidence, Inexperience for Kwara United’s CAF Confederation Cup Exit
Former Nigeria international, Felix Owolabi, has attributed Kwara United’s elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup by Ghana’s Asante Kotoko to overconfidence and lack of technical depth on the bench.
Commenting after Kotoko’s 1-0 victory in Abeokuta on Sunday, which sealed a 5-3 aggregate win for the Ghanaian giants, the 1980 AFCON winner revealed that he had earlier warned officials of Kwara United about the quality and tactical strength of their opponents.
“Do you know that I was in Ghana for an assignment when I watched Asante Kotoko play in the finals of the FA Cup against Accra Hearts of Oak?” Owolabi said. “The game ended 2-1 in favour of Kotoko, and I heard the President of Ghana promise to support the team in their continental campaign.”
According to him, the Ghanaian leader’s commitment reflected a renewed determination to revive the fortunes of club football in Ghana.
“He said the days of poor showing by Ghanaian teams were over and was ready to back them financially,” Owolabi noted.
The former Shooting Stars star added that he had returned to Nigeria with insights that could have helped Kwara United prepare better.
“I told some of those close to the team that Kotoko’s full-backs and midfielders were their engine room, and they needed a tactical plan that would disorganise them for the entire 90 minutes,” he explained.
Owolabi said he also cautioned that the tie was far from over despite Kwara United’s earlier away goals advantage.
“I warned them not to take qualification for granted until the final whistle. Psychologically, the three away goals made them overconfident,” he said.
The former winger lamented that Kwara United lacked a “matured tactician” to handle such a delicate second leg.
“All they needed was an experienced hand on the bench — someone who understands the dynamics of continental football,” Owolabi added. “It’s unfortunate. Now, it’s like medicine after death.”
He concluded by urging Nigerian clubs to attach greater importance to technical preparedness and experience when representing the country in continental competitions.
“Football has become too dynamic. Even the areas you least expect surprises have become success zones,” he warned.
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Kwara United’s CAF Confederation Cup journey came to an abrupt end on Sunday following a 1–0 defeat to Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
The slim victory handed the visitors a 5–3 aggregate triumph, sealing their progression to the next round of the continental competition and dashing the hopes of the Harmony Boys, who had entered the return leg needing only a 1–0 win to advance.
After losing a pulsating first leg 4–3 in Accra last weekend, Kwara United were banking on their three away goals to overturn the deficit.
However, Asante Kotoko displayed greater composure and tactical discipline in Abeokuta, frustrating the hosts for much of the contest.
The decisive moment came midway through the second half when the Ghanaians capitalised on a defensive lapse to grab the only goal of the game — a strike that effectively ended any comeback hopes for the Nigerian side.
Despite a spirited late push from the home team, Kotoko held firm, relying on their experience and solid defensive structure to preserve their advantage.
Kwara United’s head coach, Tunde Sanni, had promised an attacking approach, but his side found it difficult to break down a compact Kotoko backline that absorbed pressure and hit on the counter.
The result means the Ilorin-based club’s continental adventure has ended at the preliminary stage, while Asante Kotoko will now turn their focus to a blockbuster next round clash against Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca.
For Kwara United, the defeat marks a disappointing end to an otherwise promising campaign, but the team will take positives from their spirited away performance in Ghana and look to regroup for the upcoming domestic season.
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Nigeria’s Kwara United are brimming with confidence as they prepare to overturn a narrow first-leg deficit against Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko in this Sunday’s decisive CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round clash at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
Despite falling 4–3 in a thrilling encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium last weekend, the Harmony Boys returned home with three valuable away goals — a major lifeline that keeps qualification firmly within reach.
A 1–0 or 2–1 win on home soil will be enough to see them through to the next stage.
In a show of intent, the team arrived early in Abeokuta on Monday to fine-tune tactical plans and acclimatize to the playing conditions ahead of the must-win tie.
Training sessions have been intense and focused, with emphasis on tightening the defence and improving finishing in front of goal.
Head coach Tunde Sanni expressed optimism that his players have learned from the first-leg experience, admitting that some key names failed to hit their stride in Accra.
“In that first leg, some of our top players could not come to the party,” Sanni remarked. “This time around, I pray that everybody plays very well so that we won’t concede. We have to beat them convincingly.”
The coach hinted at slight adjustments to his starting lineup but emphasized that the squad’s overall readiness and team spirit remain strong.
“At least one or two changes must be there, but we are set. We can play anybody. Everybody is ready now and understands what is at stake.”
While aware of the defensive risks, Sanni insisted that Kwara United would not compromise their attacking philosophy, which has become a trademark of the Ilorin-based club.
“We are an attacking team. We don’t play defensive football. We always look to attack while maintaining balance,” he added.
Although the team will be without the passionate backing of their Ilorin faithful, Sanni believes the Abeokuta pitch provides the right surface for his players to express themselves.
“Definitely, we’re going to miss our fans, but Abeokuta has a very good pitch, so we can play anywhere,” he noted. “It won’t be easy, but with hard work, we can get the result we need.”
A victory on Sunday would not only avenge last week’s defeat but also secure Kwara United a high-profile final-round clash against Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca — a fixture that would further underline the club’s growing stature in continental football.
For the Harmony Boys, the message is clear: attack with purpose, defend with discipline, and fight till the final whistle — as the journey to Africa’s group stage continues.
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