Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Enugu Rangers, will kick off this weekend’s action in the second preliminary round matches in the CAF Champions League.
The Flying Antelopes will play host to Sagrada Esperanca of Angola in their first leg clash on Friday, September 13, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, with the game slated to commence at 3 p.m. Nigerian time.
Rangers accounted for Comoros’ US Zilimadjou following a 2-1 aggregate win in the first preliminary round to advance to this stage.
The Nigerian champions, led by interim Super Eagles assistant coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, began the defence of their NPFL title with a goalless stalemate against El-Kanemi Warriors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium last week, and they will need to be clinical to get a result against their Angolan opponent.
Meanwhile, two-time Angolan League winners, Sagrada Esperanca, trounced Saint Louis Suns United of Seychelles 4-0 on aggregate in the first preliminary round.
In other games, Tunisia’s US Monastir are home to MC Alger of Algeria; Tanzanian side Young Africans will lock horns against Red Arrows of Zambia, while Al-Merrikh of Sudan battle AS FAR of Morocco.
Elsewhere, Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy will battle South Africa’s Orlando Pirates, Angola’s Petro Luanda visit Maniema Union of Congo, Djoliba AC of Mali welcome ASKO Kara of Togo and AS Douanes of Burkina Faso host CR Belouizdad from Algeria.
FC Samartex of Ghana welcome Raja Casablanca of Morocco, Tunisia’s San Pedro FC host Al-Hilal of Sudan, ES Tunis visit Dekedaha FC, and Ivory Coast’s Stade welcome Milo FC of Guinea.
Gor Mahia of Kenya welcome 12-time winners of the CAF Champions League Al-Ahly of Egypt, Mamelodi Sundowns travel to Mbabane Swallows of Eswatini, while APR of Rwanda host Pyramids of Egypt.
