CAF decides Enyimba’s Champions League group stage opponents today

Africa’s football ruling body, CAF, will today in Cairo, Egypt, decide the opponents for Nigerian side, Enyimba, in the group stage of the continent’s Champions League.

The Nigerian champions defeated Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia 7-6 on aggregate to qualify for the group stage of the competition.

CAF will today hold the draws for the group stages of both the Champions League and Confederation Cup, which, according to the body, would be steamed live on website,www.cafonline.com.

The draws will hold at the CAF Secretariat in Cairo, Egypt at 2.30 p.m. local time, which is 1.30 p.m. Nigerian time.

In the hunt for this year’s Champions League trophy alongside Enyimba are Al Ahly, Zamalek (both Egypt), AS Vita (DR Congo), ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), ES Setif (Algeria), Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) and Zesco (Zambia).

Aspirants in the Confederation Cup are defending champions, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), Ahly Tripoli (Libya), MO Bejaia (Algeria), Medeama (Ghana), FUS Rabat, Kawkab (both Morocco), TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Young Africans (Tanzania).

This is Enyimba’s first appearance in the group stage of eth competition since the team reached the semifinals in 2011, where they lost to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.

In the line up for today’s draws are some of the biggest teams in Africa, including record title winners, Al Ahly of Egypt, who have met Enyimba several times in the competition.

Also familiar to the ‘Peoples Elephant’ are Wydad Casablanca, Algeria’s ES Setif, ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire, AS Vita of Congo DR and Zesco of Zambia.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups of four each, with the first and second placed teams in each group qualifying for the semifinals.

Enyimba, who won the competition back-to-back in 2003 and 2004, are expected to return to their home base in Aba before the group stage of the league begins.

The team played their preliminary round matches at the Adokie Aimiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.