No Nigerian side has won the continental competition under the current format. Can the countries two representatives make 2018 the year for glory?

The 2018 Caf Confederation Cup moves into the first round this week with 32 teams from across the African continent slugging it out for a place in the group phase.

Two of Nigeria’s participants are Akwa United and Enyimba who take on Libya’s Al-Ittihad and Benin Republic’s Energie FC respectively. The People’s Elephant had a bye in the previous round by virtue of finishing third in the Nigeria Professional Football League last season. The Promise Keepers meanwhile did a comeback mission against Banjul Hawks, wining 2-0 in Gambia having lost the first leg 2-1 in Uyo.

Since the Caf Confederation Cup switched to its current format in 2004, no Nigerian club has managed to lift the trophy. Only the now-defunct Dolphins made to the final which was in 2005 against FAR Rabat of Morocco. Since then, the farthest any Nigerian club has gone is the semifinals which come on two occasions with Bayelsa United and Sunshine Stars in 2009 and 2011 respectively.

This is not to say that Nigerian clubs don’t have history in Caf’s second tier club competition.

Shootings Stars won it when it was called the African Winners Cup back in 1976 – the first Nigerian team to win a continental title, before Enugu Rangers went on to win it the following year. BBC Lions claimed it in 1990 while Shooting Stars lifted it again in 1992 this time under the name Caf Cup and Bendel Insurance in 1994. Before the transition to the Confederation cup, Stationary Stores (1981), Leventis United (1985), Ranchers Bees (1988) and Julius Berger (1995 and 2003) where all runners-up.

Can this year’s participants make history?

Based on their current form in the NPFL, Akwa United and Enyimba look poised to progress to the next round. The Promise Keepers sit in sixth place, four points from the summit of the log with two outstanding games to play while the People’s Elephant lie in fourth spot, three points behind table toppers Kano Pillars with a game in hand.

Abdu Maikaba has a talented squad at his disposal having invested wisely during the transfer window which has seen the team further improve. Some of their impressive results include the opening day 2-0 victory at home to 2016 NPFL Champions Enugu Rangers, the 4-0 bashing of Maikaba’s former side Wikki Tourists. On the road, they seen off Niger Tornadoes in Lokoja and drawn at FC Ifeanyi Ubah.

For Paul Aigbogun’s side, they got the better of reigning champions Plateau United in Calabar, while claiming victory at 2016 runners-up Rivers United and holding El-Kanemi and Kano Pillars out to stalemates in Maiduguri and Kano respectively.

The People’s Elephant continental opponents in Benin Republic’s Energie got the better of Guinea’s Hafia FC in the previous round 2-1 on aggregate and while the two time CAF Champions League winners need to take caution as no team is easy prey these days, they still have it takes to make it through as both sides are not in the same gulf of class.

Al-Ittihad provides bigger opposition for Akwa United. They finished as runners-up in the 2017 Libyan Premier League and put in a dominant display against Sahel FC of Niger over two legs, thumping them 4-0 on aggregate. North African territory hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Nigerian teams. The Promise Keepers will therefore have to put in something special if they are to scale through.

It is worth noting that 17 Nigerian clubs have participated in the Confederation Cup but only seven have made it to the group phase. This is poor and one of the reasons for such is the haphazard approach they have towards the competition. There is most times no stability at clubs with managers and key players moving without adequate replacements made. What’s more is the board of clubs give very little or no incentives that could boast the morale of the team.

However that is not the case of Akwa United and Enyimba who are very stable and high in spirit at the moment. With the way the Uyo outfit showed resolve against Hawks in the previous round – something hardly seen by Nigerian clubs on the continental scene, things could be different this time around.