The Club Owners Association of Nigeria is confident that the four teams representing Nigeria on the continent will be worthy ambassadors of the league. Vice chairman of the body, Honorable Kunle Soname made this assertion during a meeting with Nigeria Football Federation President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau in Abuja. He also assuaged the fears expressed by many that Remo Stars of Ikenne don’t have a women’s team in place.
One of the conditions for participating in this season’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions for men is that clubs must have a women’s team.
“I’m glad that the 4 teams that will be flying the nations flag on the continent this term have pedigrees as well as the solid backings of their state governments and sponsors. We all know the pedigree of Enyimba, Rivers United and Bendel Insurance. And for Remo Stars, we will not be found wanting when the time comes because we were here last season and the experience garnered will stand us in good stead in our second coming”, stated the President of Remo Stars.
Soname also revealed that It is not true that Remo Stars don’t have a women’s team. “We’ve the Remo Stars Ladies who have just qualified from the amateur cadre of the league to the premier division.
I guess many didn’t know this. Watch out for us when the new season begins as Remo Stars Ladies will be as competitive as their male counterparts and will be an example of what a female professional football team will look like”, he revealed.
Nigeria will be represented by champions of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Enyimba of Aba and second placed Remo Stars of Ikenne in the CAF Champions League, while third placed Rivers United and Federation Cup winners Bendel Insurance of Benin City will do battle in the CAF Confederation Cup respectively.
Enyimba FC have a women’s team known as Abia Angels, Rivers United have Rivers Angels while Bendel Insurance of Benin City have Edo Queens.
Meanwhile, in the draw conducted by CAF on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, Enyimba are to face Libya’s Al-Ahly Benghazi in the opening round of the CAF Champions League which kicks off on 18-19 of August, 2023.
The Ghanaians will host the first leg in the weekend of 18 -19 August. Remo Stars will host the second leg in Ikenne on either 25 or 26 August.
Federation Cup winners, Bendel Insurance are facing Algeria’s ASO Chlef in the preliminary round while Rivers United who are seeded
will face the winner of the tie between Ziguinchor/Etoile Filante preliminary round tie.
