Will there be an NPFL team in the CAF Champions League Group Stage

Published on: 16 August 2022

After the draws were concluded last week Tuesday, many Nigerians have doubts that they would see an NPFL team in the CAF Champions League Group Stage.

NPFL Champions, Rivers United will face Liberian champions, Watanga FC in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League according to the draw and the bookies expect them to scale through the tie on two legs.

If Rivers United win the two-legged tie, they will face a huge task in defending champions, Wydad Casablanca in the next round and the chances of Rivers United scaling past them is very little but Stanley Eguma's men will certainly want to prove majority wrong and represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League.

Rivers didn’t make it past the second round last time and will count on the confidence boost gotten from their first league title win to advance to the group stage this time around.

Nigeria’s other representative, Plateau United who finished second in the NPFL face AS Mandji of Gabon, which majority expect them to ein and in the event they win over two legs, they will face a stiff opposition in battle Tunisian club Esperance du Tunis for a spot in the group stage and the odds for them to scale past them is also bleek.

Plateau United fell at the first hurdle when they qualified for the preliminary round as league winners in the 2020/21 NPFL season.

It is highly likely that no NPFL team will make it to the CAF Chmpionns League this season but never say never.

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