Rangers draw Algeria’s J.S Souara,
Rivers United net Mali’s A.S Real Bamako
Nigerian champions, Enugu Rangers, will begin their campaign in the preliminary round of next year’s CAF Champions League against Algeria’s J.S Souara, while runners up, Rivers United, will face Mali’s Real Bamako.
In the draws released yesterday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Rangers, who won the Nigerian Professional Football League for the first time since 1985 last season, will travel to Algiers for the first leg of the tie and host the return leg in Enugu.
If Rangers survive the Algerian challenge, they will face this year’s runners up of the competition, Zamalek of Egypt, in the second round of the competition. The Egyptians, who beat Enyimba of Aba home and away in this year’s campaign, got a bye to the second round following their performance in the 2016 edition, where they placed second.
Rivers United will also begin their campaign away from home against AS Real Bamako, the same team that knocked Enyimba out of the Champions League in the first round back in 2014.
In the Confederation Cup, which is the second tier of African club competitions, FC IfeanyiUbah will battle with Egypt’s Al-Masry SC in the first round, while Wikki Tourists will trade tackles with Sierra Leone’s Armed Forces FC.
FC IfeanyiUbah, who qualified for the Confederation Cup by virtue of their 2016 Federation Cup triumph, will host the first-leg of the encounter, just like their NPFL third-placed counterparts, Wikki Tourists.
If the clubs survive the first round, they will face Mali’s Djoliba and Tunisia’s Club Africain in the second round respectively.
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