![Berkane set to face Nigerian club in quest for third CAF Cup title](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/19/04/c9/Berkane-set-to-face-Nigerian-club-i-099810.jpg)
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
Concern grows as Venezuela blocks election observers
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Blinken, in Laos, set for talks with Chinese foreign minister
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
G20 pledges to work together to tax ultra-rich
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
Stocks rise as US inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
Norris hoping for more after topping Belgian practice times
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Harris gets vital Obama backing in battle against Trump
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Stocks rise as inflation data boosts rate cut hopes
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
-
Spain train driver jailed for 2.5 years over deadly 2013 crash
-
Paris poised for Olympic opening ceremony spectacular
-
Judoka fails doping test in first case at Paris Olympics
-
Holder and Da Silva keep England at bay after West Indies collapse
-
Alpine F1 boss Bruno Famin to leave in August
-
Ethiopia declares three days of mourning after landslide tragedy
-
Brazilian dunes dotted with dazzling pools make UNESCO heritage list
![Berkane set to face Nigerian club in quest for third CAF Cup title](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/19/04/c9/Berkane-set-to-face-Nigerian-club-i-099810.jpg)
Berkane set to face Nigerian club in quest for third CAF Cup title
Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane will launch their bid for a record-equalling third CAF Confederation Cup title against Kwara United of Nigeria or AS Douanes of Niger.
The draw for the preliminary and last-32 rounds in Cairo on Tuesday pitted Kwara against Douanes during September with the winners advancing to confront Berkane in October.
Known as the Orange Boys because they hail from a region in northeast Morocco that grows citrus fruit, Berkane became a formidable force in the second-tier competition after a preliminary round exit in 2016.
They reached the quarter-finals in 2018, the final a year later and won the competition for the first time in 2020 by edging Pyramids of Egypt 1-0 in the title decider.
A shock exit at the group stage followed when they defended the title, but Berkane triumphed again last May, beating South African side Orlando Pirates on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Kwara should overcome Douanes, but their participation in the Confederation Cup for the first time since 2007 is likely to end in the following round against a Berkane side coached by Congolese Florent Ibenge.
The other Nigerian hopefuls, African debutants Remo Stars, were drawn against another Moroccan club, FAR, in the preliminary round.
FAR won the second edition of the Confederation Cup in 2005 and will hope for a longer run this season than last, when they lost at home and away against JS Kabylie of Algeria in a last-32 tie.
Ghana representatives Hearts of Oak, who won the maiden edition in 2004 of a competition modelled on the UEFA Europa League, await Douanes of Burkina Faso or Real Bamako of Mali and should progress.
Record three-time Confederation Cup title-holders CS Sfaxien of Tunisia have disappointed in recent appearances, reaching the knockout stage only once in three attempts.
However, it would be a shock if they failed to eliminate Fasil Kenema of Ethiopia or Bumamuru of Burundi and reach the play-offs in November against the CAF Champions League last-32 losers.
Preliminary round matches are scheduled for the weekends of September 9-11 and 16-18 with the last-32 fixtures set for October.
I.Meyer--BTB