CAF Confederation Cup
Points of interest ahead of Remo Stars clash with AS FAR
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Debutants, Remo Stars of Ikenne, Nigeria host the 2005 winners of the CAF Confederation Cup this Sunday at the Remo Stars Stadium. Last Sunday, the Nigerian side forced a soul-lifting 1-1 draw, a rare scoreline for Nigerian clubs in North Africa.
As usual, Sports Village Square takes an in-depth look at the match and comes out with the following points of interest.
- As the CAF Confederation Cup enters its 20th edition, Remo Stars are the 23rd Nigerian club to feature in the competition 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
- The Moroccan side, Association’s Sports of Forces Armed Royal (AS FAR) is far older than Remo Stars. The military outfit was founded 64 years ago on 1 September 1958.
- When Adams Olamilekan Alade scored from a flick header in the 49th minute las Sunday in Rabat, he became the first Remo Stars player to score in a competitive international match.
- This match is the biggest encounter to be played by Remo Stars. It is also the first international match to be played in Ikenne.
- The match will be the first CAF inter-clubs duel in Ogun State since the 1 November 1987 Abiola Babes versus Tunis’s Esperance match in Abeokuta and that of 15 November 2003 when Julius Berger beat Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel in Abeokuta.
- Remo Stars will be on vengeance mission for most big clubs from Nigeria who have been eliminated from continental championship by AS FAR of Morocco. Of the five Nigerian clubs that have had confrontations with AS FAR, only the former Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland) ever prevailed. That was in the semi-finals of the old-styled Champions League edition of 1988 when the Nigerian side won 5-3 on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate scores.
Also in the 2009 Champions League, Iwuanyanwu Nationale ousted the Moroccans after winning 3-1 at home and forcing a 1-1 draw in Rabat in the second round of the competition.
Before then, AS FAR eliminated Stationery Stores at the quarter-finals of the 1968 edition. The game went through three legs
Stores won the first leg 1-0 in Lagos but lost the return match in Rabat 2-1. Away goal rule was not in operation at the time.
A third match was played in Dakar Senegal by mutual agreement. After the match finished 2–2 when extra time expired, AS FAR won by drawing of lots.
The next Nigerian sides to face AS FAR were the Wikki Tourists in the 1999 edition of the now discontinued African Winners’ Cup. At the quarter final stage, Wikki Tourists crashed out 3-0 on aggregate.
AS FAR again faced Dolphin of Port Harcourt and Enugu Rangers at the 2005 Confederation Cup. The Moroccans ousted Rangers on away goal rule at the play-off stage. The encounters ended 2-2.
In the final, Dolphins lost 3-1 on aggregate. It is those deplorable records that Remo Stars will be aiming to erase as they confront the Moroccan military outfit.
- Inscribed on the crest of Remo Stars is the figure 33. It symbolizes the number of towns that make up Remo division in Ogun State.
CAF Confederation Cup
‘Nzogbu Nzogbu’ Enyimba enyi as Enyimba limp into Confederation Cup Group stage!
It was not easy, but the end justified the means. Enyimba had to go through the lottery of penalty shoot-out to get into the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday in Uyo after playing a barren draw with visiting Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso.
The first leg also ended goalless leading to penalty shoot-out as tie breaker. Enyimba won 3-2 on penalties.
Enyimba FC head coach Yemi Olarenwaju has set his sights on securing a crucial victory in Sunday’s second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup tie against Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou.
His confidence is built on the goalless draw in the first leg in Bamako.
“The job is far from over, and we can’t afford to celebrate yet. The return leg in Uyo will be crucial,” Olarenwaju was quoted by the club’s website as saying.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board, work harder, and prepare for the challenge ahead.”
Olarenwaju praised his team’s tactical edge and discipline, which nullified the hosts’ attacking threats. “We had a clear game plan, and the players executed it perfectly. Our tactical discipline prevented Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou from creating any meaningful scoring opportunities.”
The Enyimba FC boss acknowledged the tough opposition but remains confident in his team’s ability to secure a win at home.
“Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou is a formidable opponent, but we have the quality and determination to get the job done in Uyo.”
As we look forward to the return leg, we urge all Enyimba FC fans to come out in their numbers and support the team at the Uyo Stadium. Let’s make our home advantage count and cheer the People’s Elephant to victory!
Enyimba’s midfielder, Daniel Daga, has pledged to lead club to victory against Etoile Filante in the return leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second round on Sunday.
The People’s Elephant are looking to build on their impressive performance in the first leg, which ended in a goalless draw in Bamako, Mali. Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Enyimba were unable to find the back of the net.
However, Daga remains optimistic about their chances in the return leg having missed the first leg of the encounter due to a slight knock
“Our resolve is to win and advance to the group stages,” he stated confidently. “We understand that they are a difficult opponent, but we have just one task, which is to win, and that is exactly what we are going to do.”
A win for Enyimba FC would guarantee their spot in the group stages, a feat that would make them the only Nigerian team in the competition’s group phase.
“We know the importance of this match, and we’re ready to give it our all,” Daga added. “We want to make Nigeria proud and show that we’re a force to be reckoned with in African football.”
Head coach, Yemi Olarenwaju, has been fine-tuning his tactics, and the team is eager to execute their game plan.
“The first leg result gives us an advantage, but we won’t take anything for granted,” Olarenwaju said. “We’ll push for victory and secure our spot in the group stages.”
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