The National League winners, Real De Banjul, will not participate in the 2008 CAF champions’ league due to financial constraints.
 
According to the Gambia Football Association due to some financial constraints they would not be able to foot all the bills of Real De Banjul and GPA in the CAF Champions league and confederation cup respectively.

The FA explained that they had a meeting with the two teams in November to explain the situation and informed them of its standing.

The Football Association accepted to foot the expenditures of the teams which include Accommodation and local transportation of officials as well as indemnities. The teams will handle their international transportation and other expenses.

The FA revealed that Gambia Ports Authority FC confirmed that they can foot their own bills but Real De Banjul informed them that they are not in the position to take care of any financial obligations in these competitions.

“This is why GPA got registered for the CAF Confederation cup while Real De Banjul failed in registering for the CAF Champions league,” the FA stated.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football Bureau of InterClubs Committee under the chairmanship of CAF President Issa Hayatou established the fixtures of the MTN CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup following a meeting held on 4 December 2007.

Gambia Ports Authority will host Entente Bingerville of Ivory Cost in the first leg of the Confederation cup preliminary round in the weekend of February 15,17 2008 in Banjul. The returned leg will be played on the weekend of February 29, March 1-2 in Abidjan.

Forty-four teams will take part in the 2008 Confederation Cup.

Holders CS Sfaxien of Tunisia have a bye to the second round where they will play Algeria’s JSM Bejaia.

Two-time African club champions Asante Kotoko of Ghana face Nigerians Wikki Tourist in the second round.

It will be recalled that the Confederation Cup was first held in 2004.