Izuchukwu Okosi
Former Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL champions, Plateau United on Wednesday evening failed to reach the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup after they were eliminated in the playoff stage by Lybia side, Al Akhdar who defeated them 3-0 in the return leg in Benghazi.
Going into the second leg encounter with 4-1 first leg win, the Jos based side coached by Fidelis Ilechukwu needed a draw or not to lose by 3-0 margin to reach the group stage of the continent’s second tier league.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHowever, three second half goals by the hosts and United’s profligacy ensured that the Tin City Boys failed to reach the group stage after they were demoted to play the Play-off following their exit from the CAF Champions League.
READ ALSO: Rivers United Maul Libyan Side In CAF Confed Cup Qualifier
Plateau United were demoted to play in the play-off after they lost 2-2 on aggregate against Esperance of Tunisia in their final preliminary round of the Champions League. They led the first leg 2-1 but lost 1-0 in the return leg to cash out.
Nigeria’s hope of reaching the Confederation Cup group stage is now on Rivers United who also face another Libya side, Al Nasr in Benghazi late tonight.
The reigning Nigeria champions have 5-0 first leg lead going into the encounter.
The Nigeria Professional Football League champions were defeated by Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca in the qualifiying stages for the CAF Champions League group stages.
Worryingly the Port Harcourt bssed side on their verified social media handles announced hostile treatments meted to them by their hosts including physical manhandling of the team manager and media officer with the former’s phone taken away from him.
Nigerian teams have never quite achieved the feat of Enyimba Football Club of Aba who won the CAF Champions League in succession in 2003 and 2004.
In addition to being unable unable to get into the group stages of the CAF Champions League, Rivers United players misses the opportunity to be $40,000 richer pledged to them by Governor Nyesom Wike.
The group stages of the CAF interclub competitions will kick off on 16 February 2023.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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