Enyimba begins group stage campaign Nov. 26

• Peoples Elephant host Lobi Stars, Rangers in Lagos for Ikorodu City today

Nigeria’s sole remaining club in the 2024/25 Confederation of African Football (CAF) inter-club competitions, Enyimba of Aba, will begin their campaign in the group stage of the Confederation Cup on November 26 or 27, according to the African football governing body.

CAF decided to change the dates for its 2024/25 Champions League and Confederation Cup group stage games to make way for the African Nations Championship’s (CHAN) qualifiers, which fall into the October to December period earlier slated for the inter-club competitions.

Match Day Two of these competitions will be held on the weekend of December 6 to 8, with the third round of games coming up on the weekend of December 13 to 15, just as Match Day Four will be held on January 3 to 5, 2025 and Match Day Six taking place on the weekend of January 17 to 19, 2025.

The quarterfinals, semifinals, and final dates schedules remain unchanged from the earlier advertised March to May 2025 period.

The CAF will hold the draws for both the Champions League and Confederation Cup on October 7 with Enyimba in Pot 3 of the Confederation Cup draw.

Defending champions, Zamalek of Egypt, are in Pot 1 alongside RS Berkane of Morocco, Simba SC of Tanzania, and USM Alger of Algeria.

In Pot 2 are Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire, Stade Malien of Mali, Al Masry of Egypt and CS Sfaxien of Tunisia.

In Pot 3 with Enyimba are ASC Jaraaf of Senegal and two teams to be taken from the unseeded group comprising CD Lunda Sul of Angola, Constantine of Algeria, Orapa United of Botswana, Bravos do Maquis of Angola, South Africa’s Stellenbosch FC and Black Bulls of Mozambique.

According to CAF, the group stage draws will be held at its Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on October 7, starting at 11.00 a.m. Nigerian time.

CAF said that Enyimba and other teams in the Confederation Cup, as well as, the Champions League, have up to September 30 to complete registration of their players for the group stage of their respective competitions.

It added that any player who is not registered by the said date would have to wait till the January window to be included in his team’s squad.

Meanwhile, Enyimba will host Lobi Stars in a rescheduled Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) match today, at the Aba Township Stadium.

It is a Match Day Two game stepped down due to Enyimba’s Confederation Cup engagements.

Rangers Football Club of Enugu, who were knocked out of the Champion League at the weekend, will also play their Match Day Two game against Ikorodu City, in Lagos, today.