Opponents of Nigeria’s representatives in the 2018 CAF Champions League competition have emerged following the draw made by the continent’s football ruling body on Wednesday.
According to the first round draw, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) winners Plateau United will play host to Eding Sport of Cameroon in the first leg, while league runners-up MFM FC of Lagos will play away to Real Bamako of Mali at that stage.
The 2018 Champions League will begin on the weekend of 9-11 February with the two-leg final set for November.
If Plateau United scale through to the second round, they will face 2007 winners of the competition, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, who were given a bye into the second round. Â MFM on the other hand will face the winners of the first round pairing between AS Otoho of Congo and Mouloudia Alger of Algeria.
Holders Wydad Casablanca of Morocco will begin defence in the second round and they will meet the winners between Stade Malien and Williamsville AC of Ivory Coast.
In the Confederation Cup, former Champions League winners, Enyimba FC of Aba were drawn bye into the second round and will meet the first round winner between the representatives of Benin Republic and Hafia FC of Guinea.
However, Nigeria’s other representaives, Akwa United FC, will do a first round battle with Hawks of The Gambia. If the AITEO Cup holders scale through, they will face the winners between Al Ittihad of Libya and Sahel of Niger Republic, in the second round.
The first round of the Confederation Cup will be held in February with the second round matches holding in March.
2017 winners of the Confederation Cup, TP Mazembe of Congo DR will campaign in the 2018 CAF Champions League.
Meanwhile, following a change in the calendar for the Confederation of African Football, the next Champions Leagues will begin in December 2018 and run through to May 2019.
After the 2019 final the competition will be held from August or September through to May of the next year.
The next Confederation Cup campaign will begin in December 2018 and run through to May 2019.
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