How Nigerian clubs prepared for continental assignments

About 50 days after the last Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) ended, the four Nigerian clubs qualified for the CAF club competitions will start their journey from the preliminary rounds this weekend.

Rivers United and Kwara United will start the two-legged challenge, starting with home matches while fellow Remo Stars and Plateau United travel to the far north and central Africa respectively.

Plateau United will play away at Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos as they host Niger side AS Douanes on Saturday. A day later, NPFL champions Rivers United will play Liberia's Watanga at Liberation Stadium.

Meanwhile, Plateau United will visit Gabon's ASO Stade Mandji on Saturday while Remo Stars take on Moroccan side ASFAR Club on Sunday.

Given time and preparations, these four Nigerian teams could be eliminated in the first round of the qualifiers.

Over the past 10 years, only five Nigerian clubs have passed the preliminary stages of the two CAF club competitions. In 2011 and 2012, the Sunshine Stars, in their first participation in the Confederations Cup and the Champions League, reached the semi-finals.

Lobi Stars reached the group stage in the 2017/18 Champions League season.

Other clubs are Enugu Rangers, Enyimba and Rivers United, who have reached the Confederations Cup group stages in the past 10 years.

Rivers United and Plateau United are the most experienced teams among the four clubs representing Nigeria, as the two will make their third appearance on the continent this season.

The last time Plateau United played on the continent, they did not progress beyond the first round after a 4-3 aggregate loss to Tunisian side Etoile de Sahel in 2018.

Meanwhile, Kwara United will make their first continental appearance in 15 years.

Remo Stars are the newbies among Nigerian teams as they make their debut. They hope to follow in the footsteps of the Sunshine Stars who made an impact when they first appeared in the Confederations Cup in 2011.

All four clubs have seen both player arrivals and departures during the NPFL transfer window, which began August 1, 2022 and lasts until September 30, ahead of their continental commitments.

There have been quite a few squad changes to the four Nigerian clubs playing on the continent.

We can describe this effect as a factor that can favor or reduce their chances of qualification. While some have opted for the best legs in the league, some have lost their best legs to foreign leagues.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in July that most Nigerian clubs face a significant challenge in order to be able to compete adequately on the continent due to a massive exodus of players leaving these clubs after an excellent season.

Furthermore, the clubs' short time to recruit doesn't help the chemistry in the squads ahead of those big games.

This unease hit all four teams again. Some have had to make mass signings, and some have seen some of their best legs exodus. The club with the most signings among the four is Kwara United, which has made 14 signings.

According to a PREMIUM TIMES report in July, most Nigerian clubs face a significant challenge to compete adequately on the continent due to a massive exodus of players leaving these clubs after a successful season.< /p>

Furthermore, the clubs' short recruiting timeframe doesn't help the team chemistry ahead of those big games.

This disease has struck all four teams once again. Some had to make mass signings, while others saw some of their best legs go. Kwara United have made the most signings of the four clubs, with 14 signings.

However, the Harmony boys have lost their best forwards to foreign clubs. Junior Lokosa, Samad Kadiri and Alao Danbani produced 25 goals for the Harmony boys last season. Their departures mean they will struggle to be attacking against AS Douanes.

Out: Emmanuel Iwu, Bashir Monsuru, Junior Lokosa, Samad Kadiri, Alao Danbani

In: Samson Paul, Wasiu Alalade, Wasiu Jimoh, Ahmed Jimoh, Abiodun Adebayo, Muri ...