Esperanca Sagrada Oust Enugu Rangers from CAF Champions League

Enugu Rangers' journey in the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League came to an abrupt end after a 3-1 loss to Esperanca Sagrada in Luanda on Sunday. Despite winning the first leg of the second preliminary round 1-0 in Uyo, Rangers could not hold onto their advantage, losing 3-2 on aggregate. This defeat extends Rangers' absence from the competition’s group stage, which they last reached 42 years ago.



Their exit leaves no Nigerian team in the CAF Champions League this season, following Remo Stars' earlier elimination by AS FAR of Morocco in the first preliminary round, also on a 3-2 aggregate. This marks the fourth consecutive year that no Nigerian side has qualified for the competition’s lucrative group stage.



Nigerian teams have struggled to make a mark in the CAF Champions League, with Enyimba being the last Nigerian side to win the tournament, having lifted the trophy in 2003 and 2004.



Editorial



It’s deeply disappointing to see yet another Nigerian club fall short in the CAF Champions League. Enugu Rangers' defeat underscores a broader issue facing Nigerian clubs on the continental stage. While the domestic league has produced talented players and competitive matches, these have not translated into success in African competitions. It has now been 20 years since a Nigerian team last won the CAF Champions League, and the drought seems likely to continue for some time.



The absence of Nigerian teams from the group stages for four straight seasons reflects the growing gap between the country's football infrastructure and those of other nations.