Rivers United Await Champions League Group Opponents As Draw Holds On Monday

Rivers United Await Champions League Group Opponents As Draw Holds On Monday 

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria’s Rivers United will learn their group-stage opponents in the CAF Champions League when the official draw is conducted on Monday at the SuperSport Studios in Johannesburg, South Africa, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Port Harcourt-based side booked their place in the prestigious competition’s group phase after a 3–1 aggregate victory over Black Bulls of Mozambique in the final qualifying round.

This achievement marks a significant milestone for Finidi George’s team, as it is the first time the club will feature in the group stage of Africa’s most elite club competition. Rivers United also become the first Nigerian team to reach this stage of the CAF Champions League since the 2018/19 season, ending a six-year wait for the country.

Ahead of the draw, Rivers United have been seeded in Pot 3, placing them alongside some of the continent’s top clubs who have already qualified for the group stage.

Among the 16 confirmed teams are Al Ahly, Pyramids FC (Egypt), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia), Simba SC (Tanzania), Al Hilal (Sudan), and Young Africans (Tanzania).

Others include Petro de Luanda (Angola), AS FAR (Morocco), MC Alger and JS Kabylie (Algeria), Stade Malien (Mali), Power Dynamos (Zambia), and FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo (DR Congo).

The lineup will be completed by the winner of the playoff clash between RS Berkane (Morocco) and Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya).

The draw will officially set the stage for another exciting CAF Champions League campaign, with group matches expected to begin in November.