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/
Algerian club USM Alger were crowned CAF Confederation Cup champions for the second time after edging Egyptian giants Zamalek SC 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at the Cairo International Stadium on Saturday night.
Zamalek won the second leg 1-0 through an early penalty by Oday Dabbagh, but the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate following USM Alger’s first-leg victory in Algiers last weekend. The Algerians then held their nerve in the shootout to secure the continental title, adding to the trophy they first won in 2023.
The hosts made a dream start, levelling the aggregate score within five minutes. Adam Kaied was brought down inside the penalty area by Che Malone Junior, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Dabbagh calmly converted to hand the White Knights a 1-0 lead on the night.
Zamalek, however, suffered an early setback when goalkeeper Al Mahdi Soliman was forced off injured before the half-hour mark and replaced by Mohamed Awad.
Before his substitution, Soliman had produced an important save to deny Islam Merili’s long-range effort that appeared destined for the top corner. Despite dominating possession for long spells, USM Alger struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in a tense and scrappy first half.
The visitors nearly found a crucial away goal shortly after the restart when Ahmed Khaldi fired wide from the edge of the box.
As the match progressed, nerves and tension intensified on and off the pitch, with several heated exchanges adding pressure on the match officials as the prospect of penalties drew closer.
Zamalek almost settled the contest late on when substitute Nasr Mansy connected with a cross from the right, but goalkeeper Oussama Benbot made a vital save to tip the header over the bar in the 85th minute.
With the aggregate score locked at 1-1 after full time, the final went straight to penalties. The two sides converted 14 consecutive spot kicks before Zamalek’s Mohamed Shehata blasted his effort over the bar. Glody Likonza then converted the decisive penalty to hand USM Alger a famous triumph.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek Face Uphill Battle Against Confident USM Alger in CAF Confederation Cup Final
Egyptian giants Zamalek SC will attempt to overturn a first-leg deficit when they host USM Alger in the decisive second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday night.
Zamalek trail 1-0 after a tense first leg in Algiers last weekend and must now produce another memorable continental comeback in front of an expected capacity crowd in Cairo.
The Egyptian side will draw confidence from an impressive home record in the competition, having lost only once in 24 Confederation Cup matches on home soil. They have also never conceded more than one goal at home in the tournament.
However, USM Alger arrive in Cairo with growing belief and momentum.
The Algerian club are unbeaten in their last three Confederation Cup matches against Egyptian opposition, winning two and drawing one while keeping clean sheets in all three encounters.
They also carry the form of a side that has lost only once in their last 19 matches in the competition, underlining why they are now just 90 minutes away from another continental title.
Saturday’s final is expected to provide another dramatic chapter in a rivalry already marked by controversy, late tension and tactical intensity.
Zamalek will be encouraged by another significant statistic — the club has never lost back-to-back matches in the Confederation Cup across 50 games played in the competition. That record will now be severely tested against a disciplined USM Alger side that frustrated them repeatedly in the first leg.
The Algerians created numerous opportunities in Algiers, attempting 23 shots — the highest by any team in a Confederation Cup final since records began in the 2016-17 season.
Much of USM Alger’s attacking threat has come from midfielder Ahmed Khaldi, who is joint top scorer in this season’s competition with four goals. Three of his last four goals have come from the penalty spot, highlighting the Algerian side’s efficiency in pressure situations.
For Zamalek, defensive midfielder Mohamed Ismaeil produced one of the standout individual performances of the first leg with seven tackles, one of the highest totals ever recorded in a Confederation Cup final.
The match will be officiated by Gabonese referee Pierre Atcho.
With continental glory at stake and the aggregate score delicately poised, Saturday’s showdown in Cairo is shaping into one of the most finely balanced CAF Confederation Cup finals in recent years.
For Zamalek, it is a chance to add another famous African night to their rich history. For USM Alger, it is an opportunity to confirm their emergence as one of the continent’s most resilient and dangerous cup sides.
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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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