It was mixed fortunes for Nigeria’s representatives at the first preliminary rounds of the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup at different centres on Sunday.
In the Champions League, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Rivers United qualified for the next round after defeating Liberian side, Watanga 3-1 on aggregate.
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The ‘Pride of Rivers’ fell to a 1-0 loss in Monrovia and will be facing the Moroccan side, Wydad Athletic Club next.
Similarly, Plateau United have now progressed to the next round of the Champions League after defeating AS Stade Mandji of Gabon 1-0 at the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
The tie ended 3-2 on aggregate after Haggai Katoh scored the only goal in the 63rd minute and will now set their eyes on Tunisia’s side Esperance in the next round.
In the Confederation Cup, debutants Remo Stars were sent packing after losing 3-2 on aggregate to experienced Morocco side, Association’s Sports of Forces Armed Royal (ASFAR).
The ‘Ijebu Millionaire’ had drawn the first leg 1-1 but fell to a 56th-minute lone goal at the Ikenne Stadium and were unable to recover as they fell out on their first continental hurdle.
In the same vein, Kwara United were held to a 0-0 draw at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché in the Niger Republic but that was enough for the Afonja Warriors to seal a spot in the next round against RSB Berkane.
However, there were bizarre moments prior to the game when their opponents allegedly hired herbalists and poured blood as the Nigerians were about to enter the field.
As seen in the video shared on the verified Twitter handle of Kwara United, the two herbalists, one with a keg of blood and the other with a goat performed the act when the players were coming down from the bus.
Meanwhile, the next rounds will be played between October 7 and 14, 2022.
