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BY JOE APU
Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Rangers International of Enugu will begin their continental campaign in the North African country of Algeria.
This was revealed on cafonline.com following the draws for the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League draw released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Rangers international according to the draws will face Jeunesse Sportive de la Saoura, known as JS Saoura or JSS for short. The club is based in the town of Méridja in the Béchar Province of Algeria.
The first leg of the tie will be played away in Algeria, with the return leg scheduled to be played in a fortnight in Enugu.
Nigeria’s other representative Rivers United were drawn against AS Bamako of Mali.
The first leg of the tie will be played in Mali with the return leg scheduled for Port-Harcourt, the home ground of the runners up of the Nigeria Professional Football League.
In the second tier of the club competition, FC IfeanyiUbah were pitched against Egypt’s Al-Masry SC. The 2016 Federation Cup winners get to host the first-leg of the encounter.
On the other hand, Wikki Tourists also host the first-leg of their Confederation Cup Preliminary round fixture.
Wikki were drawn against Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces F.C. (RSLAF F.C.).
Tunisia’s champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel, who were exempted from the first round of the CAF Champions League 2017, will play at the 1/16th finals the winners of the game between AS Tanda (Côte d’Ivoire) and AS Fan (Niger), after the draw of the first round made Wednesday in Cairo.
ES Sahel will play the first-leg at home on March 10, 11 or 12 and the second-leg away a week later (17, 18 or 19).
Tunisia’s vice champions, Esperance ST, who were also exempted from the first round, will face the winners of the game pitting Senegal’s US Goréenne against Guinea’s Horroya Conakry. Esperance will play the first-leg at home (March 10, 11 or 12).
