Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions Enyimba and other clubs representing Nigeria in this year’s CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup competitions will begin their respective journeys this weekend as the first qualifying round gets underway across Africa.
The quartet of Enyimba, Remo Stars, Rivers United, and Bendel Insurance are Nigeria’s representatives on the continent this season having distinguished themselves in the 2022/2023 football season in Nigeria.
Former African champions Enyimba are back representing the nation in the CAF Champions League after three years of absence and they have a tricky task against Ahly Benghazi in the first leg in Benghazi, Libya on Sunday.
Joining Enyimba in the Champions League are Remo Stars who will make a short trip to Ghana for their first CAF Champions League appearance against fellow debutants Medeama SC in Cape Coast on Sunday.
Federation Cup champions Bendel Insurance have unarguably the most difficult opposition of all the Nigerian representatives. The Benin Arsenals will host Algerian side ASO Chlef in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup contest at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Saturday. It is their first appearance on the continent in more than a decade.
Nigeria’s other representative in the CAF Confederation Cup, Rivers United, who did well in last year’s edition, have been exempted from the first preliminary round and will not play on the continent until next month when they face the winner of the tie between Ziguinchor of Senegal and Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso in the second round.
The return leg of this CAF Interclub first preliminary round will take place next weekend when Enyimba and Remo Stars will play at home while Insurance travel away. The winners on aggregate will progress to the final qualifying stage.
Match details
CAF Champions League
Sunday
Medeama SC (Ghana) v Remo Stars – 4pm
Ahli Benghazi (Libya) v Enyimba – 6pm
CAF Confederation Cup
Saturday
Bendel Insurance vs ASO Chlef (Algeria) – 4pm
