Nigerian representatives in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, Enugu Rangers and Remo Stars, have learned their routes to the group stages. Rangers, the NPFL champions, will face US Zilimadjou of Comoros in the first preliminary round of the Champions League, while Remo Stars, who finished second in the NPFL, will battle ASFAR of Morocco.
Rangers are on course to face the winners of the clash between St. Louis of Seychelles and GDSE of Angola in the second round. They will host Zilimadjou in the first leg between August 16 and 18, with the second leg scheduled for August 23-25 in Comoros.
Remo Stars were handed a familiar foe in ASFAR, the same team that eliminated them in the second preliminary round of the Confederation Cup in 2022. If they overcome ASFAR, they will face either a highly-ranked Libyan club or El Merreikh of Egypt in the second round.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Federation Cup winners El-Kanemi Warriors were drawn against Dadje FC of Benin Republic. They will host the first leg in Nigeria, with the second leg taking place in Benin Republic. Former champions RS Berkane await them in the second preliminary round if they progress.
Nine-time Nigerian champions Enyimba, exempted from the first round due to their high ranking, will face the winners of the Haifa (Guinea) vs Rahimo (Burkina Faso) tie to reach the group stage.
Rangers return to continental football for the first time since 2016, hoping to advance to the group stages. Remo Stars are making their third consecutive appearance on the continent but have yet to reach the group stages. Enyimba, the most successful Nigerian club on the continent, aims to return to the group stage after failing to advance beyond the preliminary round last season.
This season promises exciting encounters and intense competition among Nigerian clubs on the continent. Will Rangers and Remo Stars make a strong impression, or will Enyimba reclaim their dominance? Only time will tell.
