Africa hots up for CAF Confederation Cup

Africa hots up for CAF Confederation
Cup
Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast, Villa from Uganda and Al
Ittihad of Libya are among the top African clubs featuring in
the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup preliminary rounds this
weekend.
The 17-time Ivorian league winners Africa Sports have won
the now rested Africa Cup Winners Cup twice, while Al Ittihad
of Tripoli have appeared in the various continental
championships since 1967, reaching the semi-finals of the
Confederation Cup in 2010.
Al Ittihad have been forced to play their home game on Friday
against Sonidep of Niger in neighbouring Tunisia because of
the war in Libya.
Two-time African champions Esperance from Tunisia and
Morocco's FUS Rabat have a bye and so will see action from
the first round in March.
The second-tier Confederation Cup has been hit by the
withdrawal of Gaborone United of Botswana and Wallidan
from Gambia, giving JKU of Zanzibar and Mouloudia d'Oran
byes.
Ajax Cape Town of South Africa only rescinded a decision to
pull out of their match against Angola's Sagrada Esperanca
after they were warned by the South Africa Football
Association (SAFA).
Worried about the bad image South Africa has in Africa,
SAFA ordered Ajax, who were concerned with internal travels
arrangements in Angola, to fly to Angola or they could face
some severe sanctions.
Nigeria's Nasarawa United are back in international football
after they last featured in both the CAF Champions League
and Confederation Cup in 2007.
On Sunday, 'The Solid Miners' will welcome Senegalese second
division side Generation Foot, who caused a major upset when
they beat Casa Sports to win their country's cup competition
and qualify for the Confederation Cup.
"We want a big win, in order to make the second leg an easier
session for us," said Nasarawa United chairman Isaac Danladi.
"We have experienced continental football before when we
played in the CAF Champions League some years ago. It is
not an entirely strange territory.
"We see this as an opportunity to confirm how much progress
Nasarawa United have made over the years."
Congo's Diables Noire and V Mokanda are both at home this
weekend against Africa Sports and Nigeria cup holders Awka
United.
The confidence of Awka United from the oil-rich Niger Delta
region of Nigeria has been boosted after they won a pre-
season tournament that included Nigeria champions Enyimba
and Warri Wolves, who will both feature in the CAF
Champions League.
They are led by experienced Belgian coach Maurice Cooreman
and have improved their squad with several top signings like
Jude Aneke, who was top scorer of the Nigeria league four
years ago.
Other interesting fixtures include Kawkab Marrakesh
(Morocco) v USFA (Burundi), Saint Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo) v
Bandari (Kenya) and El Khartoum (Sudan) v Villa (Uganda).
The return leg matches will be played on the weekend of
February 26-28 with the overall winners advancing to the
round of 32 to be played from March 11 to 13.