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CAF Confederation Cup: Plateau, Rivers hit Libya

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Nigeria’s CAF Confederations Cup representatives, Plateau United, and Rivers United have hit Libya for the second legs of their playoffs against Al Nasr Benghazi and Al Akhdar.

NPFL Champions, Rivers United departed via Cairo, Egypt, and connected another flight to Libya’s second most populous city Benghazi, where their opponents are based.

“Benghazi, Libya in a bit. But first, a brief stopover in Cairo, Egypt,” the club tweeted on Sunday afternoon.

Plateau United departed via Doha, Qatar before reconnecting another flight to Libya after which they will move to the city of Bayda, where Al Akhdar will host them.

Both clubs take huge first-leg wins into the ties, as Rivers United drubbed Al Nasr 5-0 last Wednesday in Port Harcourt, just as Plateau United hammered Al Akhdar 4-1 in Abuja.

Both clubs take huge first-leg wins into the ties, as Rivers United drubbed Al Nasr 5-0 last Wednesday in Port Harcourt, just as Plateau United hammered Al Akhdar 4-1 in Abuja.

Rivers United cruised to the victory in Port Harcourt, sending strong signals of making the group stage while their opponents returned home with a fainting hope of overturning the result in Libya.

“We have to play a second game and we will try as much as possible to put up a better performance. We have to continue our work and I think we can change a lot of things in the next game, Al Nasr coach, Zoran Milinkovic, said after the game in Port Harcourt.

The NPFL champions are putting all they have into the second-tier competition, after falling out on a CAF Champions League spot, a situation coach Stanley Eguma believes has reshaped the mentality of the players.

“The bad result we had in Morocco during the Champions League is a tonic, it made the team work harder and achieve this huge result. We have started the race, we have crossed the first hurdle and we are looking forward to the second leg,” Eguma said.

Having won 4-1 in Abuja, Plateau United have done most of the work by scoring high, but the away goal recorded by Al Akhdar also means that they must ensure the Libyans do not win by more than a 2-goal margin.

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Gift Orban Needs Three More Goals to Make Amedspor Move Permanent

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Gift Orban is three goals away from triggering a clause that could turn his loan move to Turkish club Amedspor into a permanent transfer.

The Nigerian striker has made an impressive start to the season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in six league appearances.

Amedspor president Nahit Eren revealed on Tuesday that the club’s agreement with Hoffenheim includes a mandatory purchase clause that becomes active if Orban reaches 10 league goals.

Eren said Amedspor paid €500,000 for the loan and would pay €3 million for the permanent transfer if the 10-goal target is reached. (Punch Newspapers)

Orban’s latest goal came in Amedspor’s 3-2 victory over Beşiktaş, where he also provided an assist.

With seven goals already, the 24-year-old now needs just three more to reach the target that could secure his permanent stay in Turkey.

For now, Orban’s focus will be on maintaining his scoring form as Amedspor continue their campaign in the Turkish Süper Lig.

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Michael Kayode Explains Why He Chose Italy Over Nigeria

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Brentford defender Michael Kayode has revealed that choosing to represent Italy instead of Nigeria was an easy decision for him.

The 22-year-old, who was born in Borgomanero, Italy, to Nigerian parents, has received his first senior call-up to the Italian national team after representing the country at youth levels.

Speaking at a press conference, Kayode said Nigeria had approached him about representing the Super Eagles but he never seriously considered switching his international allegiance.

“It was a very easy decision. I went through all the youth teams here. Nigeria approached me, but I never thought about changing national teams,” he said.

The defender said representing Italy was an honour, having progressed through the country’s youth teams.

Kayode previously played for Italy’s Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 teams. He was part of the Italy Under-19 side that won the European Championship in 2023, scoring the winning goal against Portugal in the final.

He also revealed that he only learnt about his senior call-up after Brentford’s Premier League victory over Chelsea, saying he discovered the news on his phone at the final whistle.

Kayode joined Brentford from Fiorentina, initially on loan in January 2025, before making the move permanent. He signed a new long-term contract with the English club in July 2026, keeping him at Brentford until 2032, with an option for another year.

His first senior Italy call-up marks the latest step in a career that has seen him progress from Italian youth football to the Premier League.

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