MONROVIA, Montserrado – The Confederation of African Football has concluded the draw for the 2018-19 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup with Liberia First Division and FA Cup Champions Barrack Young Controllers drawn against Horoya FC of Guinea in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League while FA Cup runners-up LISCR FC was paired with Algeria’s USM Bel Abbes in the CAF Confederations Cup’s preliminary round.
The draw will see Barrack Young Controllers take on a Guinean side for the first time in a CAF Club competition while LISCR FC will be engaging their North African opponents. The Shipping Boys’ recent appearance in a CAF club competition was 2018 when they were drawn against Al Hilal of Sudan that knocked them out in the preliminary round.
For Barrack Young Controllers, they are going into the 2018-19 CAF Champions League preliminary round with the experience of having reached the first round. Meanwhile, LISCR FC is hoping to just cross the preliminary round for the first time.
Barrack Young Controllers reached the first round in 2014 after defeating African heavyweight Asante Kotoko of Ghana, but they got knocked out in the first round by Sewe Sports of Ivory Coast. In 2014, they crossed the first round of the 2017 edition, eliminating Stade Malien of Mali before being later eliminated by Ferrvario de Beira of Mozambique.
Despite Barrack Young Controllers crossing three preliminary round twice, they are expected to face a real test when they play against Horoya AC of Guinea. Horoya may have come from Guinea but the club has proven to be a powerhouse in African football of recent. They went against all the odds to beat 2016 African Champions League winners, Mamelodi Sundowns, and earn a point away in South Africa to help them qualify from the group stage. Horoya went on to reach the semifinals of the champions league before being eliminated by Egyptian giants, Al Ahly.
Meanwhile, Liberia’s CAF Confederation representatives, LISCR FC, will have a mountain to climb against USM Bel Abbes in their quest to reach the first round of the Confederation Cup qualifiers. The Algerians have had just one continental football experience (the 1992 African Cup Winners Cup, now the CAF Confederation Cup). However, USM Bel Abbes are the favorites going into the qualifiers, given the greater comparative rigor of Algerian football.
According to the fixtures released by CAF, Liberia’s two representatives will play their first legs away from home between November 27-28 before playing at home December 4-5.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley Jr.
