Rivers Utd Break Seven-Year Jinx in CAF Champions League

 

Rivers Utd are the first Nigerian club  to play in the CAF Champions League group phase after overcoming Black Bulls of Mozambique 3-2 on aggregate.

The Nigerians suffered a 1-0 defeat penultimate Saturday but won 3-1 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday to become the first Nigerian side to reach the group stage since 2016.

It was a tough journey for the Port Harcourt based side as they had to navigate the hard road to success having been runners up in the NPFL last season.

Unfortunately, the league champions Remo Stars of Ikenne, Ogun State, lost scandalously 7-1 on aggregate to get knocked out once again. Remo Stars fell 5-1 at home at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, penultimate weekend and lost 2-0 against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the second leg in Soweto on Sunday.

The result showed the gulf between Nigeria and South Africa in the running of football as the National team Bafana Bafana recently qualified for the 2026 World Cup at Nigeria'a expense- though Nigerian eventually made it the playoffs.

Only Enyimba FC of Aba have won the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004 with no other Nigerian club achieving that feat. Rivers United, formerly Dolphins FC reached the CAF Confedereation Cup final in 2005.

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