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CAF Confederation Cup

Confederation Cup runs into crisis as Moroccan players of RS Berkane are stranded at Algerian airport following seizure of jerseys and equipment

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RS Berkane players stranded at the Houari Boumediene Airport in Algeria.

Algerian authorities have reportedly confiscated the Morocco’s RS Berkane’s  equipment due to the jerseys’ depicting a complete map of Morocco with the southern provinces.

Officials of Morocco’s RS Berkane club delegation, stranded at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers, have demanded the return of their jerseys and sports equipment confiscated by Algerian security forces before entering Algerian territory, Moroccan outlet Le360 reported.

According to Morocco World News, this development comes after RS Berkane was denied entry into Algeria Friday morning because their jerseys displayed a complete map of Morocco, including its southern provinces.

The team was then left stranded at Houari Boumediene Airport, with images circulating online showing RS Berkane players performing Friday prayer at the airport.

The outlet quoted a source close to the team as saying that its officials threatened not to participate in the upcoming CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals against Algerian club Union Sportive Medina d’Alger if Algerian security authorities refuse to return their equipment.

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The move is part of a broader trend of Algeria’s attempts to undermine Morocco diplomatically, particularly in the Western Sahara issue.

Later today, a meeting took place between representatives of Union Sportive Medina d’Alger and RS Berkane, along with delegates from the Confederation of African Football (CAF). 

However, RS Berkane officials were “compelled” to withdraw from the meeting after Algerian security forces forcibly entered the venue, Le360 reported.

According to the same source, RS Berkane officials were surprised by the security forces’ intrusion into the meeting, which disrupted the planned discussions. They refused to carry on with the meeting due to the presence of security officials, especially since the meeting was solely focused on sports affairs.

Le360 added that Algerian authorities demanded that RS Berkane place stickers on the player’s jerseys to cover up the full map of Morocco as a condition to enter Algerian territory. However, the Moroccan team’s officials strongly rejected the proposal, considering it absurd and inappropriate.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

CAF Confederation Cup

‘Nzogbu Nzogbu’ Enyimba enyi as Enyimba limp into Confederation Cup Group stage!

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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.

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CAF Confederation Cup

CAF Confederation Cup: Enyimba target victory after Solid Showing in Bamako

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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.”

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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!

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CAF Confederation Cup

Enyimba’s midfielder, Daga confident of Confederation Cup group stage ticket

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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.

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“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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