North African teams have shown superiority over Nigerian clubs with the trio of Rivers United, Kwara United and Plateau United dispatched last weekend from the CAF Cup competitions amid pains and agonies. TUNDE LIADI reports.
Three Nigerian clubs were all eliminated in a dramatic fashion by their North African counterparts from the two CAF-organised club competitions last weekend to the consternation of keen followers of the game.
While Rivers United were outwitted 6-0 by reigning CAF Champions League winners Morocco‘s Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca for a 7-2 aggregate victory; Kwara United and Plateau United were edged on the away goal rule after they collapsed 2-0 and 1-0 to RS Berkane (Morocco) and Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia) respectively.
Ironically, between the 1970s and early 2000s, Nigeria clubs have always held their own against their North African counterparts. For instance, Shooting Stars defeated Zamalek (Egypt) in the semi-final of the 1976 African Cup Winners Cup.
Even the likes of Enugu Rangers, Bendel Insurance, Enyimba, BCC Lions, Shooting Stars, Sunshine Stars, Stationery Stores, and even Kano Pillars had at one time or the other knocked North African teams out of continental cups.
But the reverse seems to be the case now Rivers United and Plateau United slipped from the CAF Champions League to the CAF Confederation Cup following last weekend’s defeat.
For the fourth straight season, no Nigerian club has made it to the group stage of Africa’s elite club competition since Lobi Stars’ 2018-19 in the CAF Champions League.
Meanwhile, Rivers United skipper, Austin Festus described their loss to Wydad in Casablanca as a massive setback. He attributed their defeat to the gulf between teams from the North and other parts of Africa.
“It was a sad result that we didn’t plan for,” Festus admitted. “We were in Morocco to get Rivers United to the group stage of the CAF Champions League, we did our best but it was not good enough.
“We have learned a big lesson from the game. We lost the game immediately after one of our players got a red card and we couldn’t defend the image of the team.
“It was a massive loss and the players can’t believe we lost by such a wide margin. It is football. We just have to pick up ourselves and try to see what we can learn from it for the future.
“The gulf in class between North African teams and other parts of Africa is too wide; they run football professionally and the players are happy.
“We must replicate the same thing in Nigeria to see the desired changes.”
Festus apologised to Nigerians for their woeful performance, stressing that Rivers United would make amends in the CAF Confederation Cup.
“I want to apologize to the management, supporters of the team and Nigerians. We are the Nigerian champions and didn’t play as such against Wydad,” Festus added. “We have dropped to the CAF Confederation Cup and we hope to give a good account of ourselves there.
“We believe that people will soon forget about the massive loss by our performance in the CAF Confederation Cup.”
Rivers United striker, Nyima Nwagua is yet to come to terms with the embarrassing defeat they suffered in Casablanca and he said a factor that swayed the match in their favour was the followership Wydad enjoyed.
“It was a difficult day for us because we had planned to win and qualify for the group stage but on football at times what you planned is not what you get,” Nwagua said. “We have to bounce back in the CAF Confederation Cup. Nigerians should keep supporting and standing by us. We are confident we are going to stage a comeback.
“In Morocco, we saw a team with a large fan base and they came through for their team.
“The whole stadium was red. There was no other colour at the stadium. They were cheering them up when they were doing well and otherwise. I pray for a time when we will be able to have such followership in the Nigerian league.”
Plateau United also lost to Esperance in the CAF Champions League but the Peace Boys midfielder Jimmy Ambrose said they would have progressed but for intimidation and discrimination in Tunis.
“We lost the game outside the pitch. Before the start of the game, we were discriminated against by their fans. They didn’t show any regard to us at all,” Ambrose told NationSport. “If you look at the officiating too, it was another issue entirely.”
But Sunday Anthony who was full of running in both legs against Esperance revealed that Plateau United lost the fixture in Abuja with their slim 2-1 win at the MKO Abiola Stadium.
He opined that with another game against another North African team, all hands must be on deck to ensure they secure a good win at home before the return leg in Libya.
He said: “We are grateful that we have a second chance. We must grab the opportunity with both hands and ensure we win the first leg well. The fixture with Esperance was lost at Abuja. We can’t allow the same mistake to be repeated.
“We are at home again and we must make it count. Let’s win our home game well and play with our hearts in the return leg.”
Meanwhile, Kwara United were eliminated by RS Berkane of Morocco in the CAF Confederation Cup and Kabiru Balogun disclosed that the Harmony Boys were unable to match the Moroccan in the return leg because of a lack of sufficient competitive games with the league season yet to kick off.
He said playing a few league games before the start of the competition would have helped to enhance their fitness level like their foes whose league seasons had kicked off weeks earlier.
“We tried our best but it was not enough to take us to the playoffs round. We didn’t play enough competitive games because the league season is yet to start,” Balogun stated. “The organisers of the league must help teams on the continent to have enough games by ensuring that the season starts before the CAF Cup games. It is important if they want them to excel.”
However, the remaining two Nigerian teams on the continent, Plateau United and Rivers United, have respectively been pitched against two Libyan teams Al Akhdar and El Nasr Benghazi and the onus lies on them to ensure their qualification for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.