Mixed Feelings as Rangers, Remo Stars, El-Kanemi and Enyimba Get Tough Foes
Femi Solaja
After weeks of waiting, all four Nigerian representatives in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) club tournaments, Enugu Rangers, Remo Stars, Enyimba and El-Kanemi Warriors now have their respective opponents following the draw ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt yesterday.
To summarise the pairings based on previous editions, it was mixed feelings for Nigeria’s representatives but all four teams will still have to gather their loins to achieve at least a group phase qualification.
While the NPFL champions, Enugu Rangers got a relatively easy opponent with a tie against the Comoros champion Zilimadjou, runners-up, Remo Stars of Ikenne will have to dig deep when they play at home first against Moroccan side, AS Far in the first preliminary round.
It was the same team that eliminated the Nigerian side two years ago at the same stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. Remo Stars had picked a valuable 1-1 scoreline in Rabat but lost by a lone goal in the reversed fixture.
Remo or FAR will face a Libyan club yet to be named or vastly experienced African campaigners Al Merrikh of Sudan in the second round.
In the case of Rangers who will also play at home first against Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of Moroni, they need to be worried of their opponents who currently play in the Comoros Premier League. They are also one of the most successful teams in the Comoros Premier League history, having won the title four times, the most by any other club besides Coin Nord.
Assuming they clear that obstacle, Rangers would meet Saint Louis of the Seychelles or Esperanca Sagrada of Angola in September, and be favoured to succeed again and secure a group-stage place.
Every contender aspires to qualify for the 16-club mini-league phase as that is where prize money kicks in with a minimum prize money of $700 000 (645 000 euros).
In the Confederation Cup, Federation Cup champions El-Kanemi Warriors were handed a tough road, with a game against Dadje FC of Benin but will face former champions RS Berkane of Morocco in the second round if they survive the Beninoise club.
Enyimba International was drawn bye in the first preliminary round but will play the winner between Hafia of Guinea and Rahimo FC of Burkina Faso.
The first round of preliminary first-leg matches will be held between the 16th and 18th of August while the reverse fixtures come up 23rd to 25th of the same month.
