MC Alger travel to Nigeria on Sunday, 18 October, to face Enugu Rangers in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the African Champions League.
The Algerian side will be without captain Ayoub Abdellaoui as they look to secure a positive result before the return match. The fixture will be played at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Nigeria, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 local time in both Algeria and Nigeria, and 15:00 in France.
The match is expected to be broadcast on BeIn Sports Mena.
MC Alger reached this stage after overcoming Nigerien club ASN Nigelec in the opening round. The Mouloudia drew the first leg 0-0 before completing a 5-0 victory in the return fixture, and will now aim to continue their progress in the competition.
However, the team will have to cope with the absence of its captain. According to Competition, Abdellaoui suffered a contracture in his right leg during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with ASO Chlef and has been ruled out of the match in Nigeria.
The central defender will still travel with his team-mates, while Abdelkader Menezla is expected to replace him in the heart of the defence.
Enugu Rangers will seek to make home advantage count and establish an advantage in the tie. The Nigerian club’s most recent league game ended in a 2-2 draw against Barau FC, following a 3-1 victory over Abia Warriors.
MC Alger will therefore need to remain defensively disciplined if they are to avoid damaging their qualification prospects before the second leg.
The return match is scheduled to take place in Algeria on Friday, 23 October. The winner of the two-legged encounter will qualify for the group stage of the African Champions League.