CAF Confederation Cup: Kwara United, Abia Warriors get tough West African opponents

Nigeria’s representatives in the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup, Kwara United and Abia Warriors, have both been drawn against formidable West African sides in the preliminary round of the competition.

Kwara United, winners of the 2025 Federation Cup, will face Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko in a fixture that immediately revives the long-standing football rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana.

Kotoko, who were African champions in 1970 and 1983, remain one of the most decorated clubs on the continent, with a large fan base and a history of producing intense contests against Nigerian sides.

The Ghanaian FA Cup winners will host the first leg in Kumasi between 19 and 21 September, before travelling to Nigeria for the return leg from 26 to 28 September.

Whichever team advances will meet Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in the next round, a team that has lifted the CAF Champions League multiple times.

This is Kotoko’s first appearance in the Confederation Cup since 2022, while Kwara United will be making their third appearance after previous outings in 2007 and 2022/23.

For Abia Warriors, the draw has produced a baptism of fire in their maiden continental campaign.

The Umuahia-based side will host the first leg of their tie against Djoliba AC of Mali, a club steeped in African football tradition.

Djoliba, whose name is the local term for the River Niger in Mali, are the most successful club in Malian football history. Since their formation in 1960, they have won the Malian league title 24 times and the national cup 20 times.

Their record in African competitions is equally imposing. They have played 168 matches across the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, the defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup, and the CAF Cup, with 63 victories, 44 draws and 56 losses.

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Djoliba’s continental pedigree includes reaching the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2012, when they narrowly lost to AC Léopards of Congo. The club is renowned for its ability to blend physical strength with technical play, and for producing players who have gone on to star for the Malian national team. Their experience contrasts sharply with Abia Warriors’ lack of exposure on the continental stage, making this clash a stern test for the Nigerian debutants.

The preliminary round matches will be played over two legs in September, with aggregate winners moving on to the second preliminary round scheduled for October.

From there, successful teams will advance to the group stage, which begins in late November.