Julius OkorieEnugu Rangers and Remo Stars will face US Zilimadjou of Comoros and AS FAR of Morocco respectively in the preliminaries of the CAF Champions Leagues.
The two teams who qualified after finishing first and second in the 2023/2024 NPFL season are forced to begin at the preliminary stage no thanks to the poor performance of Nigerian teams in the Continental fiesta over the years.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPrime Business Africa reports that that no Nigerian team has been able to reach the semifinal of the CAF Champions league since Enyimba made history by winning the title back to back in 2003 and 2004.
It now behooves on Rangers and Remo Stars to change the narrative if they make it into the main competition by ensuring that they do well to make Nigeria a more formidable force.
Rangers will thus open their campaign against US Zilimadjou of Comoros in the preliminary round and if they overcome the Comoros hurdles will face either St Louis of Mauritius or Angola’s GDSE in the second preliminary round.
Remo Stars on the other hand begin against AS FAR of Morocco and if they cross that bridge will take on either Sudan’s El Merreikh or a club from Libya.
The first leg of the preliminary round will start on August 16 and end on August 18, while the second leg will take place on August 23 and end on August 25.
READ ALSO: Rangers Set For CAF Champions League After League Victory
Prime Business Africa notes that in the draw dished out by CAF on Thursday, in Cairo Egypt, holders Al Ahly, Espérance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, Atlético Petroleos, and TP Mazembe are exempted from the preliminary round.
Preliminary Round First Leg Matches of the Champions League
M1 & 2: El Merreikh (South Sudan) vs. Gor Mahia (Kenya)
M3 & 4: Arta Solar (Djibouti) vs. Dekadaha (Somalia)
M5 & 6: SC Villa Jogoo (Uganda) vs. Commercial Bank (Ethiopia)
M7 & 8: Vital’O FC (Burundi) vs. Young Africans (Tanzania)
M9 & 10: Azam FC (Tanzania) vs. APR FC (Rwanda)
M11 & 12: JKU SC (Tanzania) vs. Pyramids (Egypt)
M13 & 14: M. Swallows (Eswatini) vs. Fer Da Beira (Mozambique)
M15 & 16: Ngezi Platinum (Zimbabwe) vs. AS Maniema (DR Congo)
M17 & 18: Nyasa Big Bullets (Malawi) vs. Red Arrows FC (Zambia)
M19 & 20: African Stars (Namibia) vs. Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
M21 & 22: Disciples FC (Madagascar) vs. Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Can Rangers And Remo Stars Improve Nigeria’s Record in the CAF Champions League?
M23 & 24: US Zilimadjou (Comoros) vs. Rangers FC (Nigeria)
M25 & 26: St Louis (Seychelles) vs. GDSE (Angola)
M27 & 28: AS Douanes (Burkina Faso) vs. Coton Bénin (Benin)
M29 & 30: AS Leopards (Congo) vs. CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
M31 & 32: Victoria UTD (Cameroon) vs. FC Samartex (Ghana)
M33 & 34: ASGNN (Niger) vs. Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
M35 & 36: AS PSI (Chad) vs. US Monastir (Tunisia)
M37 & 38: Watanga FC (Liberia) vs. MC Alger (Algeria)
M39 & 40: Red Star (Central African Republic) vs. Djoliba de Bamako (Mali)
M41 & 42: CD Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea) vs. Asko de Kara (Togo)
M43 & 44: Stade d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) vs. Teungueth FC (Senegal)
M45 & 46: Milo FC (Guinea) vs. FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
M47 & 48: Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) vs. San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire)
M49 & 50: Libyan Club 2 vs. Al Hilal (Sudan)
M51 & 52: Libyan Club 1 vs. El Merreikh (Sudan)
M53 & 54: Remo Stars (Nigeria) vs. AS Far (Morocco)
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
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