Enyimba, Rivers Battled tough CAF Matches

Two Nigeria football teams, Enyimba and Rivers United have been drawn against North African teams in the group stage playoffs round of the Confederation Cup.

The draw took place at the CAF headquarters in Cairo on Tuesday.

Rivers United, who crashed out of the Champions League, will face Al Masry with the winners of the tie advancing to the competition’s group stage, while Enyimba battle Libya’s Al Ittihad.

The People’s Elephant, who drew bye for the preliminary stage of the competition, defeated Senegal’s Diambars 4-0 on aggregate to qualify for the playoff round.

They will play their first leg away from home on November 28, before welcoming Ittihad to the Enyimba Stadium in Aba for the return leg on December 5.

Enyimba were 1-0 winners against Ittihad at home in 2011, having drawn the away tie goalless. The eight-time Nigeria Professional Football League champions will be hoping to go past the quarter-finals, where they crashed out in their last campaign.

Rivers United on the other hand will be hoping to avoid defeat for the second consecutive time in the hands of a North African side when they face modest Egyptian club Al Masry.