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CAF Champions League

It’s 20 years today since Enyimba broke Nigeria’s CAF Champions League jinx

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Enyimba players burst into spontaneous joy  after securing Nigeria’s first win of the contnent’s premier inter clubs competition in Ismaila, Egypt on 12 December 2003.

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

 

How time flies! It is 20 years today since Enyimba became the first Nigerian club to win Africa’s premier inter-clubs competition, the CAF Champions League.

Before their feat on 12 December 2003, 15 Nigerian clubs had failed in the competition that was previously called the African Cup for Champions Clubs.

But at the Ismaila Stadium in Egypt, Enyimba  opened a new chapter in Nigerian football and became the first Nigerian team to claim the African championship after a long 39 year-wait.

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Enyimba’s win was not an easy one as they lost 1-0 through a controversial penalty kick to the home side, Ismaili of Egypt but triumphed 2-1 on aggregate after having won the first leg 2-0 in Aba two weeks earlier.

As if the duck-breaking feat was not enough, Enyimba went ahead two months later to add the CAF Super Cup to their silver wares.

 

Still thirsty for achievement Enyimba again won the Champions League title in 2004 to become the first African side to win back-to-back.

One has to go down far into memory lane to be able to find out the last time a  club had successfully defended the title in Africa’s premier inter-club championship.

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That was some 36 years before Enyimba’s historic title defence against Tunisian side, Etoile du Sahel, the club they have earlier beaten to lift the CAF Super Cup which pitches the two winners of the continent’s top clubs competition in a single tie.

 

Like the season before, Enyimba again won the Super Cup early in the Season 2005 after beating Ghana’s Hearts of Oak 3-0 in Aba.

 

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Enyimba were actually gunning for an unprecedented hat trick in the CAF Champions League before they stumbled in the last duel to the semi-final.

Another bold  effort by Heartland of Owerri in 2009 saw the club losing in the final to TP Mazembe of Congo DR, bringing back memories of similar near-miss of Enugu Rangers in 1975, Shooting Stars in 1984 and 1996 as well as that of Iwuanyanwu (which later transformed to Heartland) in 1988.

 

The Enyimba exploits appear to atone for the numerous misses Nigeria had earlier recorded in the premier clubs’ competition which had almost paled in significance in other lands.

 

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Enyimba players burst into spontaneous joy  after securing Nigeria’s first win of the contnent’s premier inter clubs competition in Ismaila, Egypt on 12 December 2003.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

CAF Champions League

Enugu Rangers crash out of Champions League

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Nigeria’s sole survivor into the second round of the CAF Champions League, Enugu Rangers have crashed out of the competition. They lost 3-1 to Angola’s Sagrada Esperança  this Sunday in Luanda.

 The aggregate scoreline is 3-2 as Rangers last weekend won their home game 1-0. Sagrada Esperança opened the game with offensive and got their first goal barely six minutes into the game when Alexandre Fernando found the back of the net.

 The hosts doubled their lead in the 33rd minute through Mussa. But four minutes later, Enugu Rangers reduced the tally to 2-1 to carry an away goal advantage into half time.

Jamie Pimpao got the much needed goal for Angola in the 67th minute to seal the hopes of Rangers.

Sagrada Esperança will now go into next month’s draw for the draw of the group stage.

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CAF Champions League

CAF Champions League: Travelling teams secure victories on the road

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CAF Champions League 2nd Preliminary Round action resumed on Saturday, 14 September following the resumption of the Africa’s premium club competition on Friday.

It was mostly the travelling teams that secured victories away from home on Saturday, who put themselves in fairly comfortable situations ahead of the return leg next week.

Orlando Pirates had a mental obstacle to overcome in Gaborone against Jwaneng Galaxy, having to face the same side that eliminated them in the same phase of the competition last season.

The former champions secured a 2-0 victory in Gaborone to put themselves in a comfortable position ahead of the return leg next weekend.

Five-time champions, TP Mazembe were away to Red Arrows in Zambia where they also put two past their hosts ahead of the return leg in Lubumbashi.

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Mamelodi Sundowns, who played their away match in the comfort of their home stadium against Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows made use of home ground advantage with a comfortable 4-0 win over their neighbours.

Tanzanian champions, Young Africans secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over CBE SA of Rwanda as Tanzanian giants continue to chase a continental title. 

It was a rather tough outing for Moroccan outfit, AS FAR when they travelled to Sudan to face Al Merrikh. A highly entertaining encounter concluded with a 2-2 draw, ahead of the return leg in Morocco.

Egyptian side, Pyramids FC also played out to a draw when they were held 1-1 by APR FC in Rwanda.

Burkina Faso side, Association Sportive des Douanes out up an impressive showing when they edged Algeria’s CR Belouizdad by 1-0.

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The first leg of the 2nd Preliminary Round concludes on Sunday, with five interesting encounters lined up, including reigning champions Al Ahly kick starting their title defense away from home.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Results & Fixtures:

Friday, 13 September

Enugu Rangers 1 – 0 Sagrada Esperanca

Monastir 0 – 1 MC Alger

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Saturday, 14 September 

CBE SA 0 – 1 Young Africans

Red Arrows 0 – 2 TP Mazembe

Al-Merrikh 2 – 2 AS FAR

Jwaneng Galaxy FC 0 – 2 Orlando Pirates FC

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Maniema Union 2 – 1 Petro de Luanda

Djoliba 1 – 0  ASKO

Douanes 1 – 0 CR Belouizdad

Sunday, 15 September 

12h00 GMT | Gor Mahia vs Al Ahly

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15h00 GMT | Samartex vs Raja CA

16h00 GMT | San Pedro vs Al-Hilal

16h00 GMT | Dekedaha vs ES Tunis

19h00 GMT | Stade d’Abidjan vs Milo FC

The return leg fixtures of the 2nd Preliminary stage will be played between 20 – 22 September.

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CAF Champions League

Enugu Rangers in slim CAF Champions League win over Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca

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Enugu Rangers’ patchy form in the CAF Champions League continues as they struggled to beat visiting Angola’s Sagrada Esperance 1-0 in the first leg match played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

 It was in similar fashion that they played against Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of Comoros Islands who they beat 2-1 over two legs in Uyo.

Rangers’ lone goal was scored by Kazeem Ogunleye in the 80th minute.

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