Saturday 14 February 2015

CAF Football: Nigerians seek African honours


No fewer than five Nigerians will defend the colours of their foreign clubs as the preliminary round of Africa’s club competitions - the Caf Champions League and Caf Confederations Cup - are decided this weekend across the continent.
Nigerian international and former Enugu Rangers forward Osaguona Ighodaro started the weekend on a positive note with a goal for his new club Raja Casablanca.
Indeed, it promises to be a busy weekend from South Africa to the Maghreb.
Several Nigerians have won these competitions with foreign sides in the past to underscore their importance to their teams.
Former Nigerian international and USA ’94 World Cup star Emmanuel Amuneke won the defunct Champions Cup at Zamalek Sporting Club, where he remains a club legend.
The duo of John Zaki and Willy Opara also won the competition with Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas and South Africa’s Orlando Pirates respectively.
Nigerian goalkeeper Austin Ejide and Okechukwu Obiakor equally won the defunct Cup Winners Cup, now Confederation Cup, with Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel in 2003.
Caf Champions League
Raja Casablanca: Morocco
Fans of Raja Casablanca went home satisfied with the performance of Ighodaro, who scored the second goal on his debut for the Moroccans in Africa’s elite competition on Friday night.
Osaguona scored in the 70th minute as his side walloped Congo’s Diable Noir 4-0 to take a massive advantage into the second leg.
ZESCO United: Zambia
The trio of Emmanuel Matthias, Christopher Chigozie and Ayo Oluwafemi play for Zambian champions ZESCO United but Matthias has since changed nationality and is now a Togolese international.
Matthias, who played for Heartland in Nigeria, is on loan to the Zambian side from South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, only Oluwafemi and Matthias travelled with the Ndola side to Swaziland for Sunday’s first-leg match against Swazi Premier League outfit Mbabane Swallows.
Chigozie will miss the match due to injury.
Mamelodi Sundowns: South Africa
Chan 2013 Most Valuable Player Ejike Uzoenyi will try to gain the attention of Pitso Mosimane as the South African champions play Seychelles St Michel United.
Caf Confederation Cup
Centre de Formation de Mounana: Gabon
A lot is expected from experienced Nigerian David Tyavkase as Gabonese side Centre de Formation de Mounana make their debut in the second tier competition.
Tyavkase, who won the Caf Champions League twice with Enyimba, continues his Gabonese adventure with Mounana after a year at rivals Union Sportive de Bitam.
Last year, Tyavkase’s former team US Bitam played in the Champions League.
“We have a good team that can do well,” Tyavkase said to supersport.com.
Mounana play Zanzibar’s Polisi.
Al-Ittihad Tripoli: Libya
Al-Ittihad’s Nigerian forward Anthony Okpotu will play a key role as the Libyan side return to the continent.
Interestingly, the Nigerian has improved tremendously with seven goals in five matches ahead of the clash against Chadian side Elec Sport.
“I’m ready for the assignment and we’re determined to make an impact,” the former Lobi Stars forward told supersport.com.
Okpotu’s Ittihad play away from home in Tunis due to the crisis back in Libya.
Others
The first round of both competitions will see more Nigerians from other African clubs join the race.
Esperance’s rave-of-the-moment Emem Eduok and Al-Ahly Sporting Club’s golden boy Peter Ebimobowei will play in the Champions League.
Eduok hammered a hat-trick recently to confirm his readiness for business, while Ebimobowei got his first Al-Ahly goal against Ittihad Al-Shorta on his first start.
And another former Lobi Stars export, Moses Orkuma, will be on duty for his new club Etoile du Sahel.
Orkuma excelled in the 2014 Caf Champions League with Libya’s Al-Ahly Benghazi who led to his switch to the Sousse outfit.
Like the Biblical Moses, Orkuma will inspire the Sousse side from the midfield.

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