By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigerian clubs participating in the 2025/2026 CAF Interclub competitions are set to learn their preliminary round opponents in August, when the official draws are expected to be held during the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in East Africa.
According to reports, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is planning to conduct the draws during the CHAN tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
Remo Stars and Rivers United, who finished first and second, respectively, in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League.
Abia Warriors, who finished third, and Federation Cup winners Kwara United will compete in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The timing of the draw adds further significance for Nigerian fans, as the Super Eagles B team will also be competing at CHAN 2024, increasing national interest in the tournament.
CAF is expected to confirm the exact date for the draws in the coming weeks, ahead of the kickoff of the new interclub campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
