Rangers vs MC Alger headlines a decisive weekend for Nigerian clubs in Africa, with the NPFL champions hosting the Algerian champions in Abeokuta in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round, while El-Kanemi Warriors welcome Raja Casablanca to Ikenne in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday, October 18. They are the only two Nigerian sides left in continental competition, and the winners of both ties go through to the group stage.
Second preliminary round, first legs
- Rangers InternationalTBCMC Alger
- El-Kanemi Warriors3:00pmRaja Casablanca
The return legs are scheduled for the CAF window of October 23 to 25, with Rangers travelling to Algiers and El-Kanemi heading to Casablanca. Reports on the exact day of the Rangers game have differed between Saturday and Sunday, and the club is expected to confirm the kick-off time this week.
Rangers vs MC Alger is the toughest test of Ilechukwu’s continental run so far
Fidelis Ilechukwu’s side needed penalties to get past AS Sobemap of Benin in the first round. Both legs finished 1-1, the first in Abeokuta and the second in Lomé, and Rangers won the shootout 5-4 to scrape through on a 2-2 aggregate. That was a narrow escape against a side ranked well below the opposition they now face, and two goals in 180 minutes is a return the Flying Antelopes will have to improve on quickly.
MC Alger arrive in far better shape. After a goalless first leg away to ASN Nigelec of Niger, the Algerian champions won the return 5-0 at the Ali-la-Pointe Stadium, with Siriman Konate, Bangoura and Boukholda all on target and Mossi scoring twice. They will see a draw in Nigeria as a good result, which puts the onus on Rangers to win the first leg and take a lead to North Africa.
Domestic form offers some encouragement. Rangers are still top of the NPFL on 17 points from eight games, although they needed Chidiebere Nwobodo’s 90th-minute equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw at Barau on Sunday, a result covered in our NPFL Matchday 8 roundup. CAF has appointed a Liberian refereeing team for the first leg, led by FIFA referee Washington Dolo with Joel Doe and Thomas Konneh as his assistants.
El-Kanemi carry Nigeria’s Confederation Cup hopes from the second tier
El-Kanemi Warriors are an unusual flag-bearer. The Maiduguri club were relegated from the NPFL in May but kept their continental place as winners of the 2026 President Federation Cup, and they will start the new Nigeria National League season later this month, as we explained in our NNL 2026/27 season preview. Club chairman Waziri Isah has insisted the Confederation Cup remains the priority, saying “We are prepared to face Raja Casablanca”.
They reached this stage comfortably enough, winning the first leg 3-0 against UDIB of Guinea-Bissau before losing the return 1-0 in Bissau to go through 3-1 on aggregate. Raja, one of the most decorated clubs in African football, skipped the first round altogether because of their continental ranking and will be playing their first competitive CAF game of the season.
The game had initially been talked about for Maiduguri, but it will be played on the artificial turf at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, with a 3pm kick-off. Raja are due to fly into Nigeria on Friday, October 16. CAF has handed the match to a Sierra Leonean crew, with Suleiman Santio Camara as referee, Saher Abdoulaye and Alosin Conte as assistants and Rachid Mohamed Conte as fourth official.
Why a home win matters more than ever for Nigerian football
Nigeria started this campaign with four clubs and has already lost two. Rivers United went out of the Champions League on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw with San Pédro of Côte d’Ivoire, and Shooting Stars were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by CS Sfaxien in the Confederation Cup after winning the first leg in Abeokuta. Another early exit for both remaining sides would leave the country without a club in the group stages again.
Reaching the groups also brings a significant financial lift, and clubs now have more flexibility to strengthen squads under the registration changes CAF announced alongside its 2026 awards plans for Lagos. For Rangers and El-Kanemi, the immediate task is simpler. Both must build a lead on home soil this weekend, because travelling to Algiers or Casablanca level, or behind, has rarely ended well for Nigerian clubs.
