Rangers and El-Kanemi face North African giants with CAF group places at stake

Rangers International and El-Kanemi Warriors, the only Nigerian clubs still in African competition this season, play the home legs of their final qualifying ties on Sunday, 18 October 2026, with places in the group stages of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup at stake.

Rangers, the reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, host Algeria’s champions MC Alger in the second preliminary round of the Champions League, Blueprint and Sports247 reported. The match is at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta on Sunday, 18 October, according to Blueprint and the broadcaster beIN Sports.

On the same day, El-Kanemi host Morocco’s Raja Casablanca in the Confederation Cup at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, with kick-off at 15:00 local time, according to AfricaSoccer and beIN Sports.

Why it matters

This round is the last hurdle before the group stages, Blueprint and Sports247 reported. Both Nigerian sides face famous names: Raja have won the CAF Champions League three times, Sports247 noted, and MC Alger are the Algerian champions.

Two other Nigerian clubs have already gone out. Rivers United went out of the Champions League in the first round on away goals to San Pédro of Côte d’Ivoire, after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-2 draw at home, SuperSport reported. It called the result the biggest shock of the round and Rivers’ fourth failure to reach the group stage in five attempts. Shooting Stars lost 2-1 on aggregate to Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien in the Confederation Cup, according to the Nigerian Observer.

How did Rangers get here?

Rangers needed penalties to get past AS Sobemap of Benin. Both legs, in Abeokuta and in Lomé, ended 1-1, and Rangers won the shoot-out 5-4, Blueprint and Sports247 reported.

Their home leg against MC Alger, on Sunday, 18 October, will also be played in Abeokuta, at the MKO Abiola Stadium. CAF has appointed a Liberian refereeing team led by Washington Dolo for the tie, The Liberian Investigator reported.

Rangers go into the tie top of the NPFL table, as GistMatrix reported on 12 October.

Who are MC Alger?

MC Alger, whom The Liberian Investigator described as one of Algeria’s most successful clubs, reached this round by beating ASN Nigelec of Niger 5-0 on aggregate. After a goalless first leg in Niger, they won the return leg 5-0, Blueprint reported.

Can El-Kanemi stop Raja?

El-Kanemi beat UDIB of Guinea-Bissau 3-0 in Ikenne in the first leg and lost the return leg 1-0, going through 3-1 on aggregate, Sports247 and the Nigerian Observer reported.

Raja did not play in the first round. They received a bye because of their continental ranking, AfricaSoccer reported, so Sunday’s match will be their first in this season’s competition.

What happens next

Both return legs are on Friday, 23 October. MC Alger host Rangers in Algiers at the Stade Ali-la-Pointe, and Raja host El-Kanemi at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, according to beIN Sports’ listings for the Champions League and Confederation Cup ties. The winners of each tie go through to the group stages.