Monrovia – The champions of Liberian football, Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) has been drawn against Guinean champions Horoya Athletic Club in the first preliminary round of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League.
Report by Christopher C. Walker 0777898224/0886723075 [email protected]
BYC’s opponents were revealed Friday, November 9, 2018, during the competition draw. LFA’s cup runner-up LISCR, will represent Liberia in the CAF Confederation competition.
BYC qualified for the competition after winning the 2018 Liberian First Division Championship. They also won the 2018 LFA Cup; but will participate in the Champions League.
The Liberian champions are not strangers to the continental showdown. They will face their counterparts from Guinea during the mid-week of November 27 to 28, 2018, while the returned leg will be played between December 4 to 5, 2018, in Liberia.
If BYC, who are also known as the Go Blue Boys, qualifies over Horoya A.C., they will play the winners from Angolan side Club Desportivo1 de Agosto and Association Sportive Otoho of Congo between December 14 to 16, 2018, away with the returned leg at home a week later.
BYC president Nathaniel Sherman said, “For sure, BYC is one of the biggest names in Liberian football but we have to plan well for the Champions League. We are sure of representing Liberia well in the competition like we always do.
According to Sherman, the draw is a very good one for his club and is sure of reaching the group stage of the competition this time around.
“We have a target and that is to reach the group stage. We are not new to the competition so is time to compete; all the players are aware of our goal.”
Sherman further stated that it is time for the club to reward its CEO Robert A. Sirleaf and Liberia for his and the country’s continuous support to the team by reaching the group stage of the Champions League.
BYC came close to reaching the group stage in 2017 but narrowly went out of the tournament at home to Mozambican Club Ferroviario Beira on penalties shoot-out after a 2-0 victory but due to the first leg result which ended in similar score the spot decided the winner.
Meanwhile, LISCR FC will make her debut in the CAF Confederation Cup against Algerian club, USM Bel Abbes.
LISCR, who are also known as the Shipping Boys, got to know their opponents on Friday, November 9, after Africa’s football governing body, CAF, officially released the preliminary round draw.
According to the draw, LISCR FC will play the first leg away between November 27 and 28 before playing at home on either December 4 and 5.
Brief History About USM Bel Abbes
Union Sportive Medinat Bel Abbès known as USM Bel Abbès is an Algerian football club, located in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria.
The club was founded in 1933. It plays its home games at the Stade 24 Fevrier 1956 which has a capacity of 45,000 spectators.
They are five-time Algerian League II winners, two-time and one-time Algerian Super Cup champions.
Shot profile of Horoya A.C.
Horoya Athlétique Club, also known as Horoya Conakry and H.A.C., is a Football club based in Conakry, Guinea. Horoya won the African Cup Winners’ Cup (now the African Confederation Cup) in 1978. One of the most significant players in Horoya in the 1970s and 1980s was Kerfalla Bangoura, who came third in 1979 in the CAF African Player of the Year voting. The club won 2012 first times the Super Cup, after a 2–0 win over FC Séquence. The club reached from 2011 to 2013 the title hat-trick of the Guinea Championnat National.
In 2014, they eliminated the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup runner-up Raja Casablanca in the second qualifying round of 2014 CAF Champions League.
In 2018, the club reached the Group Stage of CAF Champions League.