How Nigerian clubs have prepared for continental assignments
Most of these clubs have had limited time to recruit and adapt their new players before their continental assignments.
About 50 days after the last Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) concluded, the four Nigerian clubs that qualified for the CAF inter-club competitions will begin their journey from the preliminary rounds this weekend.
Rivers United and Kwara United will begin the two-legged challenge, starting with home games while the other Remo Stars and Plateau United, will travel to far North and Central Africa, respectively.
Plateau United will play away from home at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos as they welcome the Nigerien side AS Douanes on Saturday. A day after, NPFL Champions, Rivers United will play against Watanga of Liberia at the Liberation Stadium.
Meanwhile Plateau United will visit ASO Stade Mandji of Gabon on Saturday while Remo Stars will confront the Moroccan side ASFAR Club on Sunday.
Considering time and preparations, these four Nigerian sides may be knocked out in the first round of qualifiers.
Last 10 seasons:
In the last 10 years, only five Nigerian clubs have made it through the preliminary stages of both CAF inter-club competitions. In 2011 and 2012, Sunshine Stars, in their debut Confederations Cup and Champions League participation, reached the semi-final.
Lobi Stars made it to the group stage in the 2017/18 Champions League season.
Other clubs are Enugu Rangers, Enyimba, and Rivers United, who have reached the group stages of the Confederations Cup in the last 10 years.
Rivers United and Plateau United are the more experienced outfits amongst the four clubs representing Nigeria, as both will make their third appearances on the continent this season.
The last time Plateau United played on the continent, they didn’t go past the first round after an aggregate 4-3 defeat to Tunisian side Etoile de Sahel in 2018.
Meanwhile, Kwara United will make its first continental appearance in 15 years.
Remo Stars are the newbies among the Nigerian teams as they take debutant steps. They will hope to follow in the footsteps of Sunshine Stars who made an impact in their debut Confederations Cup appearance in 2011.
Reinforcements and departures The four clubs have experienced both arrivals and departures of players during the NPFL transfer window, which began on 1 August 2022 and lasts till 30 September, ahead of their continental engagements.
There have been quite some changes in the squad of all four Nigerian clubs playing on the continent.
We can describe this effect as one factor that can promote or mar their chances of qualification. While some have gone for the best legs in the league, some have lost their best legs to foreign Leagues.
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