CAF Champions League: Enyimba, Remo crash out

• Enyimba and Remo Stars exit CAF Champions League; no Nigerian teams left. Al-Ahly Benghazi and Medeama progress
• Enyimba draws goalless, Medeama wins penalties; Nigerian clubs out. Bendel Insurance, Rivers United continue in Confederation Cup

Following the elimination of Enyimba and Remo Stars in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League on Sunday, Nigeria will have no team in the competition next season.

Despite having the advantage of playing their return legs at home, both clubs, which finished first and second in the Nigeria Professional Football League last season, failed to capitalize on their home advantage, with Enyimba losing to Al-Ahly Benghazi of Libya and Medeama Sports Club of Ghana eliminating Remo Stars.

Enyimba, the NPFL champions, played out a goalless draw against Al-Ahly Benghazi in Aba, failing to avenge their 4-3 loss in the first leg.

Murphy Ndukwu, Joseph Atule, Chijioke Mbaoma, and George Owen all had chances for the People’s Elephant, but they couldn’t break their visitors, who advanced to the next round 4-3 on aggregate.

Remo Stars were eliminated 3-2 on penalties by Ghana Premier League champions Medeama Sports Club in Ikenne.

After toiling for the majority of the game and hitting the post, Daniel Ogunmodede’s side found the breakthrough in the second half with a miscalculated corner kick, going up 1-0 to level the scores 1-1 on aggregate.

Remo had the ball in the net for what they thought was a stoppage time winner, but the flag was raised.

The game went straight to penalty shootouts after 90 minutes, and Medeama goalkeeper Felix Kyei stopped three consecutive spot kicks from Olamilekan Adebayo, Okon Aniekeme, and Samuel Anaekwe in the shootout, condemning Remo to a 3-2 defeat.

CAF’s new regulations state that teams eliminated from the Champions League will no longer be drawn into the Confederation Cup, effectively ruling Enyimba and Remo Stars out of the continent.

With their departure, the only remaining Nigerian teams on the continent are FA Cup champions Bendel Insurance and Rivers United, who will compete in the Confederation Cup group stage.

Following their spirited victory over Algeria’s ASO Chlef, Bendel Insurance have been drawn in the second preliminary round against Morocco’s RS Berkane, while Rivers United will face Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso.