Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s CAF Champions Club competitions, Rangers, Remo Stars, Enyimba, and El-Kanemi Warriors, will get $50,000 each as participation fees in the preliminary stages of the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
Nigerian champions, Rangers and runners-up Remo Stars are representing the country in the Champions League, while Enyimba, who finished third in the Nigeria Professional Football League, and President Federation Cup winners El Kanemi Warriors are competing in the Confederation Cup.
CAF announced the new monetary reward in a statement on Friday.
“In line with the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe’s promise to improve club competitions and provide more financial assistance to clubs, the clubs participating in the preliminary stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will receive USD 50,000 each”, the continental football body stated on its website.
The preliminary rounds of matches began on Friday, and the prize money will increase significantly after each stage. The four Nigerian clubs could get as much as $400,000 and $700,000 if they make it to the group stages in each competition.
The winner of the CAF Champions League will get $4,000, while the winner of the Confederation Cup will get $2,000.
El-Kanemi Warriors will get the first taste of action among the Nigerian clubs as they face Dadje FC of Benin Republic in their first-leg encounter at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne, on Saturday (today).
Nine-time NPFL champions, Enyimba, who are also in the second tier of the CAF inter-club competition, are drawn bye in this round.
Enugu Rangers will face US Zilimadjou of Comoros in the first leg of their preliminary round of the Champions League at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Sunday, just as Remo Stars will host AS FAR Rabat of Morocco.
Like Rangers, Zilimadjou also adopted the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, as their home ground.
