Date: 2021-08-18

Despite the draws for the preliminary rounds of the 2021/22 Champions League and Confederation Cup being held already, and the Nigerian clubs pitted against their opponents, Kwara United have again insisted they would not give up their fight to ensure they were rightfully awarded the ticket to play on the continent next season.

League winners Akwa United, Bayelsa United, Enyimba and Rivers United are the country's representatives on the continent.

Rivers United were awarded three points and three goals in their match-day 34 tie against Jigawa United, after the latter was deemed to have fielded an ineligible player in the tie.

The decision meant Rivers, who were sixth with 63 points, climbed to second place with 66 points, overtaking Enyimba on goals difference, while Kwara slumped to fourth place, despite initially ending the season with 65 points and +20 goals difference, which guaranteed them third place on the final NPFL table and a CAF Confederation Cup ticket.

General Manager of the club Bashir Badawiy had earlier told The PUNCH that they hoped for a swift response from the Court of Arbitration for Sport before the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup draw on Friday, following their rejection of the Nigeria Football Federation Appeals Committee's ruling.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday, media officer of the Harmony Boys, Jimoh Bashir, said the management was not giving up on the quest to play on the continent.

He said, "The process is still on because our first complaint was that Ibrahim Eddy Mark is from Rivers State and he was not fit to be part of the committee. That's our first point of contention and we believe that based on their findings and decisions they (NFF committee) will have to sit again.

"Very soon the management of Kwara United will come out with our position on the issue; we are only waiting for what NFF still has to say as regards this matter because the decision taken denied us the position we were supposed to end the league with.

"We are not giving up hope on the continental ticket yet. Kwara United want to establish the fact that we are not satisfied with the decision and even if we win the case, it is not because we are desperate to represent Nigeria on the continent. It is just to ensure that the right thing is done. The competition might even have started before we hear from CAS, but we just want to establish the fact that a wrong decision was made and that’s the legacy we are fighting for."