CAF CONFEDERATION CUP: Rivers Utd, Plateau Utd Draw North African Teams Again!

Duro Ikhazuagbe

After Nigerian clubs in continental campaigns got eliminated at the final hurdle to the group stage of the CAF Champions League at the weekend, Rivers United FC and Plateau United have again been handed North African oppositions in the playoffs for the Confederation Cup group phase.

At the draw yesterday for the playoffs where teams will qualify for the group stage, both Rivers and Plateau were paired against two Libyan teams in the home and away two-legged fixtures scheduled for next month. The first leg match will hold on 2 November. The return match will be a week later on 9 November.

Rivers United will take on El Nasr while Plateau have Al Akhder hurdle to climb.

Nigeria’s other clubs that featured in the Confederation Cup earlier, Remo Stars and Kwara United were knocked-out by North African teams.

It was also Moroccan club, Wydad that ousted Rivers United from the Champions League, while Tunisia’s Esperance dealt Plateau United the unkind cut of elimination from the money spinning group stage of the continent’s premier club competition.

No Nigerian club has ever won the competition that is in its 20th edition.

Interestingly, cup holders, RS Berkane will face Tunisia’s US Monastir in the play-offs for the group stage of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup.

US Monastir are among the 16 teams dropping into the Confederation Cup from the African Champions League.

Moroccan club Berkane only sneaked past Nigeria’s Kwara United on away goals in the second preliminary round after a 2-0 home win saw the tie end 3-3 on aggregate.

DR Congo’s TP Mazembe, CS Sfaxien of Tunisia and Morocco’s AS FAR are three other clubs with outstanding pedigrees in the play-off round, which will be held over two legs next month.

Clubs from Morocco and Tunisia have dominated Africa’s second-tier continental club competition since its launch in 2004, winning 12 of the 19 finals – with Berkane victorious in 2020 and last season.

PLAY0FFS DRAW

US Monastir (Tunisia) v RS Berkane (holders, Morocco)

Rivers United (Nigeria) v El Nasr (Libya)

Plateau United (Nigeria) v Al Akhder (Libya)

Royal Leopards (Eswatini) v AS Real Bamako (Mali)

TP Mazembe (DR Congo) v Royal AM FC (South Africa)

Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) v Future FC (Egypt)

ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) v SC Gagnoa (Ivory Coast)

Djoliba AC (Mali) v AS FAR (Morocco)

Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) v Marumo Gallants (South Africa)

ASKO de Kara (Togo) v CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)

Young Africans (Tanzania) v Club Africain (Tunisia)