Nigerian Clubs Face Mixed Results in CAF Competitions

Nigeria’s four clubs in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup had mixed results in their first leg games over the weekend.

Rivers United and Rangers International ended their matches in draws in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors won their games in the Confederation Cup.

Rivers United got a significant away result by drawing 1-1 with Côte d’Ivoire’s FC San Pedro in Abidjan on Saturday.

Rivers United went behind in the 55th minute when Dosso L scored for San Pedro. But substitute Iyowuna Douglas equalized for Rivers just 14 minutes later. Douglas, who came on three minutes earlier, scored from inside the box after Alex Oyowah set him up with a good pass.

This result gives Rivers United a chance to finish the job in the second leg, which will be held in Uyo on September 13.

Rangers also drew 1-1 against AS Sobemap from Benin Republic in Abeokuta on Sunday.

The Nigerian champions took the lead through Chidozie in the 32nd minute but could not hold on as Sobemap fought back to earn a draw. Rangers will travel to Benin for the second leg, knowing that a win or a draw with a goal will help them move forward to the next round.

Confederation Cup

In the CAF Confederation Cup, Shooting Stars earned a narrow 1-0 victory against Tunisian club CS Sfaxien at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta.

Lucky Emmanuel scored the only goal of the match in the 25th minute, giving the Ibadan club a slight edge going into the second leg. Sfaxien pushed for an equalizer after halftime, but Shooting Stars’ goalkeeper and defense held strong to keep their lead.

The return leg in Tunisia will be a tougher challenge for Shooting Stars as they aim to protect their slim advantage and move to the next round.

El-Kanemi Warriors had the best result among the Nigerian teams, defeating Guinea-Bissau’s UDIB 3-0 in Ikenne on Sunday.

Nnamdi Mejuobi was the standout player, scoring in the 52nd minute and then converting a penalty four minutes later, putting El-Kanemi 2-0 ahead. Dayo Wahab finished off the scoring in the 88th minute as El-Kanemi secured a strong lead for the return match in Guinea-Bissau.

The Maiduguri-based team will now look to finish the job away from home and secure their place in the next round.

NFF Reaction

Emmanuel Ikpeme, the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, welcomed the results and encouraged the clubs to stay focused for their return legs.

“We are happy for them after watching all the matches and seeing their hard work. We believe Shooting Stars can handle whatever CS Sfaxien throws at them in Tunisia. We also urge Enugu Rangers to travel to the Benin Republic and get the result they need to qualify for the next round.

“El-Kanemi Warriors had a big win, but they should not relax. They must go to Guinea-Bissau and play hard to gain even more confidence for the next round.”

With the first legs done, the Nigerian clubs now face crucial away matches. Rangers, Shooting Stars, and El-Kanemi Warriors need to protect or change their results on the road. At the same time, Rivers United will look to build on their important away draw in Uyo.