Acting Nigeria Football Federation General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme believes Edo Queens, Enugu Rangers, Rivers United, Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors can represent the country with distinction in their continental assignments this weekend.
Edo Queens, who won the 2024 WAFU-B Women’s Champions League, will meet Ghanaian side Ampem Darkoa in the final in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Victory would secure the Nigerian club a place in this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
Nigeria’s two CAF Champions League entrants will also begin their first-round preliminary ties. Rivers United will travel to Abidjan to face FC San Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire, while Enugu Rangers will host Benin Republic’s SOBEMAP FC at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta. Both matches are first-leg fixtures.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Shooting Stars will welcome Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien to the MKO Abiola Sports Arena for another opening-round first leg. El-Kanemi Warriors, meanwhile, will play Deportio Nationale of Guinea at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
Ikpeme said he was confident that all five Nigerian clubs had the quality to deliver positive results, although he warned that none would face an easy task against opponents who were similarly prepared and determined. He praised Edo Queens for reaching the final and backed them to summon enough energy to overcome their Ghanaian challengers and return to Nigeria with the trophy.
He also urged Rangers and Rivers United to begin a new chapter for Nigeria in the CAF Champions League, a competition Nigerian clubs have not won for 22 years. Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors, he added, must approach their respective matches with courage, concentration and an upbeat mentality.
Ikpeme said the weekend’s fixtures should mark the start of Nigeria’s gradual bid to regain a leading position in African club football.
Edo Queens reached the final after opening their campaign with a commanding 7-0 victory over Niger Republic’s AS Garde Nationale. They then defeated ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire 3-1 before suffering a 2-1 loss to Ampem Darkoa in their last group-stage match.
The Nigerian champions responded strongly in Wednesday’s semi-final, overwhelming Burkina Faso’s USFA 5-1. They will face Ampem Darkoa again in Saturday’s final at Stade August 4.
