CAF Competitions: Why Nigerian Clubs Struggle On The Continent

By Taofeek LAWAL

By virtue of her position in African football and landmark achievements in the round leather game, Nigeria should be a dominant factor in Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) organised football competitions but that is not the case.

Nigerian clubs in recent times have lost their mojo in continental competitions because of their haphazard preparations which is not helped by club administrators who are more interested in lining their pockets with players’ money and the unstable football calendar by those running the league in particular, and our football in general.

Nigerian clubs will continue to struggle on the continents until the right things are done and things are done right. How to do you expect a league where champions emerged through crook ways to represent Nigeria very well at CAF football competitions?

In the last four or five years, the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has become the laughing stock of the global community. We have not had true champions as the league either stops abruptly due to the indecision on the part of the league organizers, the League Management Company (LMC) or the league did not resume after a normal break.

 The most ridiculous was when the league went on recess in 2018 because of the World Cup that was not staged in Nigeria. This was when all top leagues in the world and some African countries even concluded their own seasons. In the true sense of it, how do we expect Nigeria representatives in CAF-organised competitions to make any impact when they emerge through the back door?

The preparations by Nigerian representatives on the continent cannot be compared with that of North African football power houses like Zamalek of Egypt, Esperance of Tunisia and El Mereikh of Sudan. Also, club sides like TP Mazembe of DR Congo, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire have better preparations and more financial muscle than any Nigerian top football clubs.

Is it not a pity that Kano Pillars players just got their outstanding allowances and bonuses cleared by the Kano State government just few days to their first game against ASC Jaaraf of Senegal in the CAF Confederations Cup. Can all these aforementioned football clubs go through the same situation like Pillars? The answer is NO.

It will be easier for Kano Pillars, Rivers United, Plateau United and Lobi Stars to pass through the needle eye than for them to survive the onslaught of serious, focused and more determined football clubs in the Confederations Cup and the Champions League.

Truth be told, the first round of matches will determine how far Nigerian club sides can go in this year’s CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup.