The Confederation Cup preliminary round match between previous winners Bendel Insurance of Benin and Association Sportive Olympique de Chlef of Algeria will be officiated by Algerian referee Aklesso Gnama of Togo.

The North African football juggernauts will be hosted by the Nigerian FA Cup champions on August 20 at the 15,000-seat Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin, and they will then fly to Algiers for the second leg match on August 27, 2023, at the 18,000-seat Mohamed Boumezrag Stadium in Chlef, Algeria.

In order to advance to the group stage, Insurance must defeat ASO Chlef over the course of two legs in the preliminary round before taking on former champions RS Berkane (Morocco) in the second round.

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Gnama, meanwhile, is not new to Nigeria; he was appointed by CAF as match referee, with his countrymen Komlan Domenyo Adiwotso, Jonathan Koffi Ahonto, and Komlanvi Aklassou serving as assistant referees 1 and 2, respectively, in the crucial U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Olympic Eagles and Tanzania Young Taifa Stars in October of last year.

Later, the team defeated the visitors 2-0 in Ibadan’s Lekan Salami Sports Complex.