Rivers United have booked their place in the group stage of the CAF Champions League after an emphatic 3-1 victory over Black Bulls Maputo in the second leg of their qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Saturday.
The Pride of Rivers went into the tie needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Maputo, and they did so in style, driven by a spirited home performance. Wasiu Falolu set the tone early on, giving Rivers United a deserved lead that reignited their qualification hopes.
As pressure mounted on the visitors, Maclyn Biokpo struck again just before half-time to double the advantage and put the aggregate score at 2-1 in favour of the Nigerian side. However, the game took another twist shortly after the restart when Moctar Diallo pulled one back for Black Bulls, levelling the tie on aggregate and momentarily restoring hope for the Mozambican club.
With elimination looming due to the away-goal rule, Timothy Zakariah stepped up for Rivers United in the 76th minute, scoring a crucial goal that restored their aggregate advantage at 3-2. The hosts held firm in the closing stages to secure the victory and confirm their spot in the group stage.
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The win means Rivers United will currently be Nigeria’s sole representative in this season’s CAF Champions League after other Nigerian sides failed to progress.
NPFL champions Remo Stars will take on Mamelodi Sundowns at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday, needing a miracle to overturn a 5-1 first-leg defeat suffered in Abeokuta.
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