Nigerian side Rivers United are hanging on to qualification to the next round of the CAF Confederations Cup following a hard-fought 3-2 away win against APC Do Lobito in Luanda.
The Nigerians needed to win by a good number of goals against the Angolan side, who have proven to be the group’s whipping boys.
Rivers United, playing at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda, displayed resilience and determination from the outset, with Udom Edem Ekerette opening the scoring in the 40th minute, setting the tone for an intense battle on the pitch.
The Nigerian side continued to press forward, and their efforts were rewarded with a penalty converted by Alex Oyowah four minutes later, further solidifying their lead before halftime.
After the break, Rivers United maintained their momentum, with Farouk Mohammed finding the back of the net in the 48th minute, extending their advantage and putting pressure on the home team.
However, Academica Petroleos Lobito refused to back down, mounting a spirited comeback with two goals of their own to keep the contest alive.
Despite Lobito's late surge, Rivers United held on to their lead, ensuring that the maximum three points were garnered on away soil.
With the win, Rivers United remained in contention for a spot in the knockout rounds but now face a decisive showdown against Dreams FC of Ghana at home, where they will need to secure another victory with plenty of goals to enhance their chances of progressing in the competition.
Rivers United with all to play for in Confederations Cup
The Ghanaian side Dreams FC sit top of the group with 12 points from five games while Club Africain of Tunisia and Rivers United have registered 9 points from the same number of games.
The final group games matchup will see Rivers United host Dreams FC in a must-win game while Club Africain of Tunisia will welcome already eliminated Academica of Angola.
The Port-Harcourt outfit will be hoping that the Angolan will cause a stir away in Tunisia by winning, bagging a draw or losing by a slim margin.
As they prepare for this pivotal encounter, Rivers United, the only Nigerian side remaining on the continent, will look to build on the momentum gained from their hard-fought triumph in Angola and count on home support in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on Sunday, March 3.
CAF Confederation Cup: What are the teams playing for?
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made changes last year to the prize money structure for the CAF club competitions, giving both international club competitions a major increase of 40%.
The increase in prize money is part of CAF President, Patrice Motsepe’s commitment to make African football competitions more competitive and self-sustaining.
Motsepe announced that the Confederation Cup prize money was previously at $1.25 million, but the champions will now get $2 million (N3.3 billion) while the Confederation Cup runner-up will get $1 million (N1.6 billion).
The Confederation Cup semi-finalists will take home $750,00 respectively and $550,000 for the quarter-finalists, the teams that finish in the Confederation Cup group stages will earn $400,000.
