The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ratified the duo of Enugu Rangers and Rivers United as Nigeria’s flag bearers in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League, Sports World Nigeria reports.
Rangers, as the current Nigeria Premier Football League champions, and second-placed Rivers United would embark on their campaign from the preliminary stage with a dream to fight for a space in the elite group stage of Africa’s premier club competition. The list of the participating 24 teams from 12 countries that will be featuring two clubs in the tourney was published by CAF on Monday.
Some of the expected contenders are the reigning champions, South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, Egyptian big boys, Zamalek and Pyramids, Morocco representatives, Renaissance Berkane and MAS Fes and Tanzanian teams Young Africans and Simba.
Countries such as Algeria, Angola, Cte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Mali, Sudan, and Tunisia also have their clubs’ participation. Meanwhile, the confirmed qualification of Enugu Rangers and Rivers United offers another avenue for Nigerian football to have a better representation and impact in continental competitions after some unimpressive displays in recent times.
Rangers earned the ticket after topping the NPFL last season while Rivers United secured the slot through a high finish in the league. Both teams will be looking forward to navigate the qualifying rounds to face some of the biggest clubs in Africa in the group stage.
Furthermore, the continental football governing body also confirmed the list of 40 other nations who will feature one representative in the tourney including Ghana’s Medeama, Kenyan club Gor Mahia, Rwandan side APR, Vipers of Uganda and Zambia’s Power Dynamos.
The first leg of the preliminary round matches is billed for September 4 to 6, followed by the second leg from September 11 to 13. The second round of the preliminary stage will come later in October, while the group stage matches are scheduled to kick off at the end of November and continue till the end of January, before the knockout stages of the competition begins in February 2027. Rangers and Rivers United would have their attention glued on making the country proud of a good outing in the coming months.
