CAF Confederation Cup
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP: ENYIMBA START GROUP STAGE IN MOROCCO; RANGERS AT HOME
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
When the group stage of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup kicks off on December 1, Nigerian champions Enyimba will be away to Morocco’s Hassania Agadir, while Rangers, who were knocked out at the group phase last year, will host another north African team, Pyramids FC of Egypt.
The draw for the group phase of the continent’s second tier club competition had earlier been conducted at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, placing Enyimba in Group D and Rangers in Group A.
Enyimba, CAF Champions League winners in 2003 and 2004, also have in Group D FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) and Paradou AC (Algeria). The Ivorien side will host the encounter against the Algerian club.
Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou will be at home against Al-Masry SC of Egypt in Group A where Rangers feature. .
In the other groups, Horoya of Guinea, winners of CAF Cup Winners Cup in 1978 and veterans of the continent’s club competitions, will be away to South Africa’s Bidvest Wits on Matchday 1 in Group B, while Al-Nasr SC (Libya) will welcome Mali’s Djoliba at a venue to be determined later.
In Group C, last year’s finalists Morocco’s RS Berkane will be at home to Benin Republic’s ESAE on Matchday 1, on the same day Zambia’s Zanaco FC will be away to Daring Club Motema Pembe in DR Congo.
The group stage will be concluded on March 6, next year with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
Enyimba were the last Nigerian team to advance beyond the group stage of this competition. And that was in 2018 when the People’s Elephant reached the semifinals but lost 1-3 aggregate to eventual winners Raja Casablanca.
Matchday 1
Group A:
Rangers (Nigeria) v Pyramids FC (Egypt)
FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) v Al-Masry SC (Egypt)
Group B:
Bidvest Wits (South Africa) v Horoya (Guinea)
Al-Nasr SC (Libya) v Djoliba SC (Mali)
Group C:
RS Berkane (Morocco) v ESAE (Benin Republic)
Daring Club Motema Pembe (DR Congo) v Zanaco FC (Zambia)
Group D:
Hassania Agadir (Morocco) v Enyimba (Nigeria)
FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) v Paradou AC (Algeria)
Matchday 2
Group A:
Al-Masry SC v Rangers
Pyramids FC v FC Nouadhibou
Group B:
Djoliba SC v Bidvest Wits
Horoya v Al-Nasr SC
Group C:
Zanaco FC v RS Berkane
ESAE v Daring Club Motema Pembe
Group D:
Enyimba v Paradou AC
Hassania Agadir v FC San Pédro
Matchday 3
Group A:
Rangers v FC Nouadhibou
Pyramids FC v Al-Masry SC
Group B:
Bidvest Wits v Al-Nasr SC
Horoya v Djoliba SC
Group C:
RS Berkane v Daring Club Motema Pembe
ESAE v Zanaco FC
Group D:
Hassania Agadir v Enyimba
Paradou AC v FC San Pédro
Matchday 4
Group A:
FC Nouadhibou v Rangers
Al-Masry SC v Pyramids FC
Group B:
Al-Nasr SC v Bidvest Wits
Djoliba SC v Horoya
Group C:
Daring Club Motema Pembe v RS Berkane
Zanaco FC v ESAE
Group D:
Enyimba v Hassania Agadir
FC San Pédro v Paradou AC
Matchday 5:
Group A: Pyramids FC v Rangers
Al-Masry SC v FC Nouadhibou
Group B:
Horoya v Bidvest Wits
Djoliba SC v Al-Nasr SC
Group C:
ESAE v RS Berkane
Zanaco FC v Daring Club Motema Pembe
Group D:
Enyimba v Hassania Agadir
Paradou AC v FC San Pédro
Matchday 6
Group A: Rangers v Al-Masry SC
FC Nouadhibou v Pyramids FC
Group B:
Bidvest Wits v Djoliba SC,
Al-Nasr SC v Horoya
Group C:
RS Berkane v Zanaco FC
Daring Club Motema Pembe v ESAE
Group D:
Paradou AC v Enyimba
FC San Pédro v Hassania Agadir
—
CAF Confederation Cup
Good start for Confederation Cup defending champions, Zamalek
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
CAF Confederation Cup
Enyimba continues unbeaten run against Burkina Faso clubs
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.
CAF Confederation Cup
Enyimba drawn against Etoile de Filante in Confederation Cup
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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