Kalli involved as African Club Cup matches hold

A member of the NFF Executive Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli will serve as match commissioner in Wednesday’s CAF Champions League first round, second leg match between Armed Forces of The Gambia and FC De San Pedro of Cote d’Ivoire, taking place in Banjul, capital of The Gambia.

The game is one of the several matches in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup holding this week, with Nigerian champions Lobi Stars taking on US De Loum of Cameroon in Enugu.

Lobi Stars were to host the game on their homeground in Makurdi but ongoing work on the runway of the military airport in Makurdi meant the Cameroonian delegation could not be flown to the Benue State capital. CAF regulations say visiting teams must be airlifted to any venue superior to 200 kilometres, and there is no other airport within a 200 –kilometre radius of Makurdi.

Pleas by the Nigeria Football Federation for the Cameroonian delegation to see reason and travel to Makurdi from Abuja by road with the cover of maximum police escort and a comfortable bus fell on deaf ears. CAF eventually intervened by directing that the match be played in Enugu, which is Lobi Stars’ given alternate venue.

The match holds on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. Lobi Stars lost the first leg in Cameroon 0-1.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s flagbearers in the CAF Confederation Cup, Rangers International FC of Enugu are away to Defence Forces of Ethiopia, whom they defeated 2-0 in Enugu last week, courtesy of two second half penalty kicks converted by Godwin Aguda.