CAF Cups without Nigeria

When news broke last week that four Nigerians had been appointed by CAF to handle four of the eight semi final matches of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederations Cup, even colleagues in the media suddenly woke up to the realization that these competitions “still exist”. Gone are the days of Rangers International, Shooting Stars Sports Club, Bendel Insurance…..and lately Enyimba International…..
In a chat with Tony Bekederemo of Brila FM, I said it was regrettable that the Nigerian media closed its gates to those two competitions just because Nigerian clubs had crashed out and early too. But, can we blame them? How can they sustain interest in a competition that Nigerian clubs were not involved in?

Last week, news that Samson Adamu, Dr Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Gen Dominic Oneya and yours truly had been appointed to officiate, rekindled interest as the competition entered its home stretch. By the end of this month, the two finals will be played.
Where did we branch off?
I remember that we were still in touch when the draws were made, especially the historic Champions league pairing that saw three Algerian clubs in the same group. By the time the group matches ended, only one of them, USM Alger qualified for the semi final! In contrast,  Sudan with just one team in that group,( El Merreikh) and another in Group A (El Hilal ) qualified for the semi finals,

Yes Sudan!
The CAF Champions League semi final pairing saw T.P.Mazembe of Lubumbashi, Congo DR squaring up to El Merreikh, while USM Alger played El Hilal. At the time of submitting this column, USM Alger had qualified for their very first continental final after beating El Hilal 2-1 in Sudan and drawing the return leg 0-0 in Algiers last Saturday.
The other semi final spot is likely to be picked up by Tout Puissant Mazembe who played the return leg yesterday after a slim 0-1 loss at away to El Merreikch in Omdurman, a match that was coordinated by Dr, Bolaji Ojo-Oba.
Africa football will not forget in a hurry the nerve wrecking drama that saw three teams in Group B. (Mazembe, Tettouane and Hilal) going into the last group match with 6 points each and pundits predicted a nail biting encounter in Lubumbashi as Tettouane came calling. At the end of Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe’s final whistle, it was five star Mazembe that qualified for the semi final, the five goals going down in History as a club record.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, a similar drama played out with two Egyptian clubs, Al Ahly and Zamalek reaching the semi finals against Orlando Pirates of South Africa and Etoile Du Sahel of Tunisia respectively. This has been a momentous year for Zamalek who beat their more famous compatriots Al Ahly in the league and cup, before embarking on the first leg of the semi final against Etoile in Tunisia. They were hammered 5-1, a result that sent shock waves through  African football circles.
The only explanation given for that heavy defeat is that Zamalek were still in celebration mood over the double over Ahly that they became vulnerable in Tunisia. Ardent Zamalek followers in Egypt ( Not too many compared to Al Ahly) even said that if they were to choose between beating Ahly and winning the CAF Confederation Cup, they would have gone for the former!

Zamalek players and officials thought differently and planned for the return leg that had our own Dominic Oneya as Match Commissioner. Disaster struck five minutes into the match when Referee Bakary Gassama of Gambia, one of Africa’s best flashed a straight red card at defender Ali Gabr.
With ten men, Zamalek was  not deterred and got the curtain raiser in the 11th, converted a 55th minute penalty, benefited from an own goal in the 69th minute, yet could not score that decisive fourth goal that would have catapulted them to the final courtesy of the  away goals regulation. You needed to be at the stadium last Saturday to experience the tension as Zamalek went all out especially in the last five minutes of the match when 2-goal scorer in the first leg, Marouane Jej also received the marching orders reducing both teams to ten players each.
Too late, as Etoile, winners in 2006 and runners up in 2008 reached their third final ready to face perhaps Al Ahly who played last night in Suez, confident of upturning a one goal deficit suffered in Johannesburg last week against the Pirates. This is the story of 2015. As written earlier, by the end of this month, this year’s competition will be brought to an end.

What plans, Nigeria in 2016?
There is an overwhelming belief that this year’s league has been exemplary, that whichever team wins the league this year will be a worthy champion. This leaves us to hope that next year, Nigerian clubs will not only return to Africa but will do so with authority. So help us God.

ADIEU MADAM ENYEAMA
I agree with the NFF President that we should not shed tears over the relocation of Madam Lucy Phillip Enyeama, that we should rather celebrate the woman who gave us one of the world’s greatest keepers. I agree. But how I wished she had lived long enough to, like we say in this clime “ enjoy the fruits of her labour”
Adieu Dear Mother, fare thee well and thanks for the gift of Enyeama.