Nigeria’s two CAF Confederation Cup representatives have been handed tricky opening assignments, with Shooting Stars drawing a three time champion and El-Kanemi Warriors facing a daunting path to the next heavyweight test.
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Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors now know their opening opponents in the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup after the preliminary round draw was held in Cairo. Shooting Stars have been paired with Tunisian side CS Sfaxien, while El-Kanemi Warriors will face Guinea-Bissau’s UDIB.
The Oluyole Warriors will host the first leg at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne before travelling to Sfax for the return fixture. First leg matches across the round are scheduled for September 4 to 6, with the return legs following between September 11 and 13.
The tie carries real significance for Shooting Stars, who secured their continental spot by finishing third in the NPFL last season, marking the Ibadan club’s return to African football for the first time in 27 years. CS Sfaxien, meanwhile, arrive as three time Confederation Cup champions and one of the most experienced sides in the competition’s history.
Should Shooting Stars get past Sfaxien, they would face either Cote d’Ivoire’s AF Amadou Diallo or Sierra Leone’s East End Lions in the second preliminary round for a place in the group stage. Fans following Nigeria’s continental campaign can check Bet9ja’s current promo code ahead of the September fixtures.
El-Kanemi Warriors earned their place in the competition through Federation Cup glory, having beaten Wikki Tourists 3-1 in the semifinal before going on to lift the trophy, their third Federation Cup title after previous wins in 1991 and 1992. The Maiduguri club have a complicated relationship with home advantage too, having been forced to play their matches in Katsina between 2015 and 2016 during the Boko Haram insurgency.
Their reward for winning the cup is a testing continental draw. Beating UDIB would set up a daunting second preliminary round tie against Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca, a club that has already shown it can eliminate Nigerian opposition in this competition, having knocked out Enyimba in the 2018 semifinals on their way to that year’s title. New Bet9ja users following the CAF draw can check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code before the preliminary round kicks off.
The scale of the challenge facing both Nigerian clubs reflects a wider continental pattern. North African clubs have won 18 of the 23 completed CAF Confederation Cup editions since the tournament was established in 2004, including the last four in a row, with sides from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia dominating the competition almost entirely.
Nigeria’s recent record against that kind of opposition hasn’t been encouraging either. Enyimba failed to register a single win against either of their Egyptian opponents, Zamalek and Al Masry, during the 2024/25 Confederation Cup group stage before exiting the competition in third place. Punters following Nigeria’s push for continental silverware can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code as the preliminary round approaches.
Both Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors will be hoping to buck that trend and end Nigeria’s long wait for a first CAF Confederation Cup title, starting with results that would already represent notable upsets given the pedigree of the opposition standing in their way.
📌 Did You Know?
- CS Sfaxien are three time CAF Confederation Cup champions, among the most experienced clubs in African inter club competition.
- Shooting Stars’ return to continental football ends a 27 year absence for the Ibadan club.
- El-Kanemi Warriors have now won the Federation Cup three times, in 1991, 1992 and 2024.
- Raja Casablanca eliminated Enyimba in the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup semifinals before going on to win that year’s title.
- North African clubs have won 18 of the 23 completed CAF Confederation Cup editions since the competition was established in 2004.
- El-Kanemi Warriors were forced to play home matches in Katsina between 2015 and 2016 due to the Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri.
- Enyimba failed to record a single win against their two Egyptian opponents in the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup group stage.
