Rivers United have booked their place in the next round of the CAF Champions League after edging Aigles du Congo 1-0 in the second leg at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The narrow victory in Uyo sealed a well-deserved 1-0 aggregate win and kept the Pride of Rivers’ continental dream alive, Footballrover reports.
Rivers United’s Grit Secures CAF Champions League Progress
The decisive clash was tense and cagey for long stretches, with both sides struggling to find a breakthrough.
That changed on the stroke of half-time when the Congolese champions conceded a free-kick that ultimately swung the tie in the hosts’ favour.
Aigles du Congo’s goalkeeper failed to deal convincingly with the delivery, and the loose ball fell kindly to Stephen Manyo.
The Super Eagles defender reacted sharply, powering a header into the back of the net to give Rivers United the crucial lead.
The former NPFL champions held firm after the restart, giving the visitors no clear chance to respond and seeing out the game to seal their progression.
Head coach Finidi George’s side will now face the Black Bulls of Mozambique in the next stage.
With their continental pedigree, the Port Harcourt outfit will fancy their chances of advancing to the group stage.
Before that, Rivers United will shift focus back to domestic duty as they prepare to host Niger Tornadoes in midweek.
Kwara United Crash Out of CAF Confederation Cup
Elsewhere, Kwara United’s CAF Confederation Cup campaign came to an end after a narrow defeat to Asante Kotoko at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
A 54th-minute strike by Hubert Gyau was enough to give the Ghanaian giants a well-deserved 1-0 victory on the day.
The Harmony Boys had hoped to overturn a 4-3 first-leg deficit from their trip to Accra but instead fell to another defeat, bowing out 5-3 on aggregate.
It marks the end of the road in continental competition for the 2024 President Federation Cup winners, who will now turn their attention back to the NPFL as they prepare to face Kano Pillars.
Djoliba Dumps Abia Warriors Out of CAF Competitions
Meanwhile, Abia Warriors suffered a similar fate, crashing out of the CAF Confederation Cup after a narrow defeat to Djoliba in their maiden continental campaign.
The Umuahia side faced an uphill battle in the return leg in Bamako, needing at least a goal to keep their hopes alive after being held to a 1-1 draw by the Malian outfit in Uyo.
However, the NPFL side fell short, losing 1-0 at the Complex Sportif Heremakono to bow out 2-1 on aggregate.
The result means there will be no Nigerian club in the Confederation Cup group stage this season—a significant setback that further dents the country’s CAF club coefficient.
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