MC Alger face Enugu Rangers in African Champions League qualifying tie

MC Alger travel to Nigeria on Sunday, 18 October, to face Enugu Rangers in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the African Champions League.

The Algerian side will be without captain Ayoub Abdellaoui, who has been ruled out after suffering a contracture in his right leg. MC Alger will nevertheless aim to secure a positive result before the return fixture.

The match will take place at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Nigeria, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 local time in both Algeria and Nigeria. That is 15:00 in France.

The fixture is expected to be shown on BeIn Sports Mena.

MC Alger reached this stage after overcoming Nigerien club ASN Nigelec in the opening round. The Algerians drew the first leg 0-0 before completing a 5-0 victory in the second match.

However, their preparations have been affected by the loss of Abdellaoui. According to Competition, the centre-back sustained the injury during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with ASO Chlef.

Abdellaoui will still travel to Nigeria with his team-mates, but Abdelkader Menezla is expected to take his place in central defence.

Enugu Rangers will look to make home advantage count and establish an advantage in the tie. The Nigerian club drew 2-2 with Barau FC in its most recent match, following a 3-1 league victory over Abia Warriors.

MC Alger will need to remain organised defensively if they are to protect their chances of progressing before the second leg.

The return match is due to be played in Algeria on Friday, 23 October. The winner of the two-legged contest will qualify for the group stage of the African Champions League.