End of the Road for Nigerian Clubs in CAF Confederation Cup as Kwara United and Abia Warriors Are Eliminated
Nigeria’s hopes in the CAF Confederation Cup ended on Sunday, September 28, as Kwara United and Abia Warriors were both knocked out in the preliminary round.
Kwara United, who lost 4-3 to Ghana’s Asante Kotoko in the first leg last week, were beaten 1-0 in the return fixture at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta. The result gave Kotoko a 5-3 aggregate win. Hubert Gyau scored the only goal of the match to seal progress for the Ghanaians.
Abia Warriors, meanwhile, could not recover from their 1-1 home draw against Djoliba Athletic Club of Mali. They lost 1-0 away in Bamako to exit the competition on a 2-1 aggregate.
With the result, Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko will now face Moroccan powerhouse Wydad Casablanca in the next round. Kotoko, two-time winners of the CAF Champions League, are still chasing their first Confederation Cup crown. Wydad, three-time Champions League winners, bring strong pedigree after featuring in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year.
The first leg of the clash will be played at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, before the return leg in Casablanca in October.
For Nigeria, however, it is the end of the road in this year’s Confederation Cup, as both clubs bow out early.
