Rivers United produced an outstanding performance in Uyo on Saturday night, overturning a first-leg defeat to beat Mozambique’s Black Bulls 3-1 and qualify for the CAF Champions League group stage with a 3-2 aggregate win.

The victory marked a major milestone for Nigerian football, as Rivers United became the first Nigerian Premier League side in six years to reach the group phase of Africa’s biggest club competition. The last club to achieve that feat was Lobi Stars in the 2018/19 season.

After losing 1-0 in Maputo, the Pride of Rivers knew they needed to come out strong. From kickoff, they pressed high and moved the ball with purpose, keeping the visitors under pressure.

Timothy Zachariah nearly opened the scoring in the sixth minute after setting up Ubong Friday, but the Black Bulls goalkeeper stretched to push the shot behind.

The breakthrough came soon after. In the 15th minute, Wasiu Falolu pounced inside the area and calmly slotted home to level the tie on aggregate, sending the Uyo crowd into cheers.

Rivers United refused to slow down. Falolu, who had been a constant menace, was fouled just outside the box close to halftime. The referee pointed to the spot, and Maclyn Biokpo made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 2-0 in the 42nd minute.

That goal gave Finidi George’s side a 2-1 aggregate lead heading into the break, but the visitors returned sharper after the restart. Two minutes into the second half, Moctar Diallo fired past Rivers’ goalkeeper to draw the Black Bulls level on aggregate.

For a brief spell, the momentum tilted toward the Mozambican side. However, Rivers United regained their rhythm, with coach Finidi making timely changes by bringing on Rivio Ayemwenre and Samson Obi to inject pace and control.

The turning point came in the 75th minute when Zachariah, who had tormented the opposition all game, unleashed a brilliant strike from distance that flew into the top corner, restoring Rivers United’s aggregate advantage.

From that moment, the hosts managed the game smartly, closing down spaces and keeping the Black Bulls at bay. When the referee blew the final whistle, the players and fans celebrated a comeback that will be remembered for years.

Rivers United will learn their group-stage opponents when the official draw takes place on November 3 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

© 2025 Naija News, a division of Polance Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]