*Bendel Insurance to face Algerian ASO Chief in first CAF game in 28 years
Nigeria’s representatives in the next CAF Champions League, Enyimba International FC of Aba and Remo Stars of Ikenne have been handed tough opponents in the first round of the competition.
At the Draw ceremony conducted by CAF yesterday, the Nigeria Premier Football League champions Enyimba were paired with Libya’s Ahli Benghazi.
Enyimba who are two-time champions of the tournament will play the first leg away and return to Aba for the reverse fixture a week later.
The winner of the two-legged encounter will meet either Cameroon’s Coton Sport Garoua or Cote d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosa in the next round.
Nigeria’s other representatives in the competition, Remo Stars will take on Ghanaian Premier League champions, Medeama.
Medeama will host the first leg in the weekend of 18-19 August.
The NPFL runners up will host the second leg in Ikenne on either 25 or 26 August.
The winner will be up against Horoya FC of Guinea for a place in the money spinning group stage.
The Ghanaian champions Medeama Sporting Club, founded in January 2011, were formerly known as Kessben FC and based in Western Region.
Meanwhile, the CAF Confederation Cup draw also threw up some tantalizing North-West battles.
Nigeria’s Bendel Insurance returning to the continental scene after a 28-year gap will face Algerian side, ASO Chlef – a tough route to reach the group stage. Nigerian clubsides hardly survive encounters with North Africans.
Should they survive the Algerian challenge, they head back to North Africa to confront former winners RS Berkane of Morocco. Rivers United received a bye through the early rounds.
Another North Africa-West Africa clash will see Morocco’s FUS Rabat facing Benin Republic’s AS Loto.
Another interesting showdown sees Tanzania’s Azam FC travel to Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar Kenema in the pick of the East African clashes.
