MC Alger host Enugu Rangers at Douéra this Friday with two goals to make up after the 0-2 first-leg defeat. Their captain, centre-back Ayoub Abdellaoui, is absent, and the official line-ups were released before kick-off.
The Ali-Ammar Stadium in Douéra hosts the second leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round this Friday, 23 October 2026, between MC Alger and Enugu Rangers. Kick-off is set for 20:00 Algerian time, 19:00 GMT.
The Mouloudéens go into this tie two goals down, after the 2-0 defeat suffered at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta on 18 October. The official line-ups of both teams were made public before kick-off, according to Foot Africa.
Abdellaoui absent
Centre-back Ayoub Abdellaoui, MC Alger’s captain, is absent for this second leg, according to Foot Africa. His absence deprives MCA of their captain at a time when the team must overturn a two-goal deficit.
On the other side, coach Fidelis Ilechukwu approaches this return leg with the advantage of the 2-0 gained in the first leg. His squad includes in particular striker James Emo, scorer of the second goal in the first meeting.
A 0-2 deficit to wipe out
In the first leg, Nigerian goalkeeper Lucky Jimoh was shown a straight red card as early as the 13th minute. Mouloudéen midfielder Oussama Benhaoua was also sent off, in the 52nd minute.
Enugu Rangers made the difference late in the match, from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute and then through James Emo in the 87th. Those two late goals sealed the 2-0 win for the Nigerian club.
Enugu Rangers had also lodged an appeal calling for the match to be played behind closed doors, an appeal dismissed by CAF. MCA will therefore host their opponents in front of their home crowd in Douéra.
The 1976 precedent
This fixture is not a first. It revives the historic 1976 meeting, when MC Alger overturned a 2-0 deficit by winning 3-0 before being crowned African champions, according to Foot Africa. A precedent that gives this return leg a special resonance.
That parallel remains historical and does not prejudge what the 2026 team will produce. If MCA qualify, the CAF Champions League group stage draw will follow.