Daniel Ogunmodede, head coach of Remo Stars, has expressed confidence that his team will be well-prepared to face Moroccan side AS FAR in the CAF Champions League (CAFCL) next season.
Remo Stars earned their spot in the CAFCL as Nigeria’s second representative, thanks to their second-place finish in the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season. Consequently, the preliminary draws for the CAFCL, held on July 11, matched the Sky Blue Stars against AS FAR, marking their second continental encounter.
FAR eliminated Remo from the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup in September 2022 with a 2-1 aggregate score. It was a disappointing outing for the Sky Blue Stars who initially secured a vital 1-1 away draw, but eventually fell to a 1-0 defeat in Ikenne.
In an interview with Afrik-Foot, Ogunmodede revealed that he had anticipated this pairing with FAR. “Personally, I believe we are destined to meet AS FAR again,’’ the 44-year-old said. “I remained glued to my screen from start to finish. You can guess we were both drawn last.’’
“I believe it is simply fate; we must accept it, and we have had familiar opponents in the competition. We met in the local league, then the higher league, the CAF Cup, and finally the Champions League. I think it’s a difficult challenge.
Ogunmodede insisted that Remo would perform better this time around, even as he acknowledged the challenge posed by FAR.
“The first time we met them, we learned a lot because it was our first time on the continent, and we were inexperienced,” he stated.
“Now that we’re meeting them again, it’s our third time, and whether anyone likes it or not, we’re more experienced now. But the thing is, they’re more difficult to play now because they just got a new coach, and it’s difficult to know anything about them.
“You can’t take that away from them because they’re a bigger club than we are. It’s a learning curve for us, and we’re still learning and growing every day.
“This is a learning club, so we’ll always learn, but there’s no doubt that even if it’s our third trip on the continent, we’ll always be better than the first.”
The first leg of the CAFCL clash between both sides will take place in Ikenne on August 16, before Remo Stars travel to the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Morocco for the return leg on August 23.
Victory for the Sky Blue Stars will secure their first-ever entry into the CAFCL group stage, months after achieving their highest finish in the NPFL.
Ogunmodede emphasised the team’s commitment to thorough preparation to achieve this milestone.
“Yes, as a team, we are preparing. We prioritize preparedness and are doing everything we can to maximize our strength,” the coach said.
“We know we’re up against a stronger opponent and challenge, so the only thing that can save us is how well we prepare, which is exactly what we’ve been doing.
“Since we resumed, we have worked tirelessly to prepare. We’ve been moving forward, and I believe and trust that everything will work out in the end.”
Leave a comment