CAF CL & CONFEDERATION CUP
*Monsuru’s howler causes heartaches in Ikenne
Femi Solaja
Three of Nigeria’s four teams in continental campaigns pulled through to the next round yesterday with the exception of Remo Stars of Ikenne.
Champions of the Nigeria Professional Football League, Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt qualified for the next round of the CAF Champions despite going down 0-1 against Liberia’s Watanga FC away. Farsedu Logan scored the only goal of the match from the spot as the Pride of Rivers people qualified 3-1 on aggregate.
Rivers United are to face African champions Wydad Athletics Club of Casablanca, Morocco for a place in the Group Stage of the CAF Champions League.
Nigeria’s other representative in the competition, Plateau United, also pulled through to the next after a 1-0 win against Stade Mandji of Gabon at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja. Haggai Katoh netted the winning goal for the Jos team to qualify 3-2 on aggregate.
Plateau are listed to battle Tunisia’s Esperance in the first round.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Kwara United zoomed into next round after they were held goalless by Niger Republic’s AS Douanes at the Stade Seyni Kountche, Niamey on Sunday night.
The Harmony Warriors of Ilorin won the first leg 3-0 last weekend to also booked their place in the next round on 3-0 aggregate.
It was however sad tales in Ikenne as continental debutants, Remo Stars, failed in their bid to move into the next round of the CAF Confederation Club.
Remo Stars lost at their home ground in Ikenne 1-0 to Morocco’s AS FAR
Playing before a large home crowd, the Remo Stars who recorded a soul lifting 1-1 draw away in Casablanca penultimate weekend, failed to find their rhythm. They thus lost out 2-1 on aggregate to the Moroccans.
Victory however did not come easy for the visitors who profited from the howler committed by Bashiru Monsuru in the 55th minute. His poor handling of the ball deflected to a Moroccan attacker who blasted past Kayode Bankole for the only goal of the game.
Remo Stars became the fifth Nigerian club-side to ever crash out to the ‘military’ tactics of the Royal Moroccan Army football club.
