Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma. Photo/courtesy.
Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma is set to clash with top European clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma, and Galatasaray, in the Europa League.
Ouma’s Swedish team, Elfsborg, was dealt a challenging draw on Friday, having secured a spot in the group stage of Europe’s second-tier club competition.
Under the new format, the Europa League has expanded to 36 teams, with each team playing eight matches—four at home and four away—against two opponents from each of the four seeding pots.
Elfsborg’s home fixtures include clashes with Italian giants Roma, Portuguese club Braga, Azerbaijan’s Qarabag, and French side Nice. Away matches will see them face Premier League team Tottenham, La Liga’s Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar from the Netherlands, and Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray.
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The teams finishing in the top eight will automatically advance to the last 16, while those ranked ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged knockout play-off for a spot in the next round. Teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated without entering the Conference League.
The new format will see the number of matches rise from 125 to 189, with each team playing a minimum of eight games—up from six—and a maximum of 17. Europa League action kicks off on September 25-26, with the extended fixture list meaning the league phase will continue until January 30, rather than concluding before Christmas.
