By Victor Kanayo
After successfully prosecuting the playoff stage of the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup stage, Nigeria’s Rivers United have been handed opponents in the group phase on Monday December 12.
The club, defending champions in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) have been placed in group B alongside ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Diables Noirs (Congo) and Motema Pembe (DR Congo).
The Rivers United side became the last Nigerian club standing on the continent after defeating Libya’s Al Nasr 6-1 on aggregate in the playoff round earlier in November.
They will kick off their campaign on February 12, 2023, via away match against Diables Noirs.
In group A, USM Alger (Algeria), Marumo Gallants (South Africa), Al Akhdar (Libya) and Saint-Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo) will trade tackles.
In group C, Pyramids (Egypt), ASKO Kara (Togo), Future (Egypt) and AS FAR (Morocco) will do battle.
In group D, TP Mazembe (DR Congo), US Monastir (Tunisia), Young Africans (Tanzania) and Real Bamako (Mali) are pitched.
Meanwhile, FUFA President Moses Magogo has revealed that Uganda Cranes have withdrawn from the forthcoming Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) finals due to financial constraints.
Magogo who revealed this in a tweet on Monday December 12 apologised to the players and staff that qualified the team.
The tweet reads, “Like for the U23, we are left with no further option but to withdraw the Uganda Cranes from CHAN finals because Ministry of Finance has not provided the funds as appropriated by Parliament.
“The sanctions to Uganda will affect the future if we don’t take the hard decision now Sorry for the players and coaches who qualified the team but it is the moment to face the reality.”
The Uganda Cranes were due to start preparations for the tournament on December 21 and are placed in Group B alongside DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
CHAN is a competition for the national team players based in their own respective domestic leagues.
