The four Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL)) clubs representing the country in next season’s CAF club competitions have been handed tricky and tough opponents in the first qualifying rounds.
NPFL champions, Rangers International, and runners up, Rivers United, have been drawn to face AS Sobemap and San Pedro respectively.
Sobemap is the league champion in Benin, while San Pedro are champions of the Ivory Coast’s Ligue 1.
Rangers will host Sobemap in the first leg in Ikenne and travel to Benin for the return leg, while Rivers United visit San Pedro for the first leg before hosting the Ivorian champions in the second leg.
Rivers United are seeking an immediate return to the group phase where they finished rock-bottom last season, while Rangers are looking to reach the money-spinning stage for the first time in the competition’s modern format adopted in 1997.
Wins for both teams will see Rangers meet either Niger Republic’s ASN Nigelec or Algerian giants MC Alger, while Rivers United will face Uganda’s Vipers or FC Nouadhibou of Mauritania in the second qualifying round for the group stage slot.
The first legs are set for September 4-6 and the return legs will take place one week later.
In the Confederations Cup, Tunisian giants CS Sfaxien will look to stop Shooting Stars from advancing on their return to the continent after 27 years, while Federations Cup winners El Kanemi will slug it out against Guinea Bissau’s UDIB.
