Remo Stars earn slim lead over AS FAR, Rangers pip Zilimadjou 1-0

El-Kanemi walk tightrope after 1-1 draw with Benin side

Remo Stars Football Club of Ikenne, yesterday, defeated Moroccan side, AS FAR 2-1, in their preliminary round game of the 2024/25 CAF Champions League.

Remo Stars lost to the Moroccan outfit in the CAF Confederation Cup in Ikenne two years ago after drawing the first leg in Morocco, and playing against the same side yesterday gave most of their fans cause for concern.

But the Bet9ja boys rose to the occasion to record a 2-1 win, which some do not see as a great result considering that they still have the second leg to play in Rabat.
Remo Stars’ Captain, Nduka Junior, gave the Nigerians the lead off a free-kick floated in by Sodiq Ismail in the 19th minute.

The Nigerian side dominated the game thereafter, but poor marksmanship denied them more goals.

They paid for their profligacy in the 50th minute when Joel Beya equalised with a free header that stunned the Ikenne crowd.

After the equalizer, the North African sides resorted to an unusual side game management style that saw them falling to the ground at every touch to waste time.

However, Remo Stars had the last laugh when Sodiq turned from provider to scorer to make the game 2-1.

Both teams will meet again in the decisive leg in Rabat, on Sunday, with the overall winner qualifying for the Second Round.

Nigeria’s second team in the CAF Champions League, Enugu Rangers, have a clear-cut path to the second round after winning the “away” leg of their tie with Comoros Island’s Zilimadjou 1-0, with Uwumiro Frank the goal scorer in the 22nd minute.

Zilimadjou, who have no approved home ground, opted to play their home match in Enugu Rangers’ approved ground, the Godswil Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

They will meet at the same ground on Friday.

Earlier on Saturday, one of Nigeria’s flag bearers in the CAF Confederation Cup, El-Kanemi Warriors, forced visiting Beninoise side,  FC Dadje, to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their preliminary round tie, at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne, Ogun State.

The Maiduguri-based team, who were forced to play their home tie in Ikenne because no venue was found suitable for that game in the northern region, including the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, relied on a 95th-minute header from substitute Gimba Ajiji to earn the draw.

The visitors had taken the lead in the 30th minute when Feliciano Montcho capitalised on a loose ball in the midfield, setting up Selassie Bakai to slot past Warriors’ goalkeeper, George Matthew.

They were running away with a win before Ajiji intervened with the game-saving header.

El-Kanemi must beat FC Dadje in the return leg if they wish to qualify for the next stage of the competition.