Enyimba battles Pirates in tricky Confed Cup group

Two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba has been drawn against South African side, Orlando Pirates, Algeria’s Entente Setif and Libya’s Al Ahly Benghazi in Group A of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The draws were conducted in Cairo, Egypt on Monday.

Enyimba defeated Rivers United 5-4 on penalties on Sunday, after aggregate score stood at 1-1, to book a spot in the group phase.

The People’s Elephant will open their group phase campaign against Libya’s Al Ahly Benghazi at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba on March 10, and then travel to South Africa to face Orlando Pirates on March 17, before concluding the first round of group games against ES Setif on April 2, in Aba.

The second round of group games will be played between April 11 and 28.

Title-holders Renaissance Berkane of Morocco are in Group B with JS Kabylie of Algeria, Coton Sport of Cameroon and Zambia’s NAPSA Stars.

There will be two Tunisian teams in Group C provided Etoile Sahel get past Young Buffaloes of Eswatini in a delayed second leg, having established a 2-1 aggregate lead in the southern African kingdom. The game comes up on Tuesday (today).

The winners will join record three-time Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia and two West African contenders, Salitas of Burkina Faso and ASC Jaraaf of Senegal.

Raja Casablanca of Morocco and Pyramids are in Group D with Nkana of Zambia, who have never lost at home in 64 CAF matches, and the winners between Namungo of Tanzania and Primeiro Agosto of Angola.

NP/Mercy Chukwudiebere