CAF Champions League
CAF Champions League: Rivers United in Troubled Waters with Berkane, Pyramids, and Power Dynamos
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s flagbearers, Rivers United, have been handed a challenging test in the group stage of the CAF Champions League, following Monday’s draw held at the SuperSport studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Port Harcourt-based side will compete in Group A, alongside Renaissance Sportive de Berkane of Morocco — the reigning CAF Confederation Cup champions — Pyramids FC of Egypt, last season’s African champions, and Power Dynamos of Zambia.
The draw, conducted at 1:00 p.m. local time, set up what promises to be one of the most competitive groups of this season’s tournament, bringing together four clubs with strong continental ambitions.
For Rivers United, it marks a return to the CAF Champions League group phase with the hope of surpassing their previous continental outings.
The Nigerian side will be aiming to make a strong impression against two North African giants and a seasoned Southern African opponent.
Group A is being widely described as a “battle of champions,” featuring teams that have recently lifted major domestic and continental titles.
RS Berkane, in particular, have emerged as one of Africa’s most consistent clubs in recent years, while Pyramids’ rapid rise has made them a formidable force in African club football.
Elsewhere, Group B has been tagged the “group of death,” pairing Al Ahly of Egypt — record 11-time African champions — with Young Africans of Tanzania, AS FAR of Morocco, and JS Kabylie of Algeria.
The group stage matches are expected to kick off later this month, with fixtures running through the early months of 2026. The top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals.
For Rivers United, the journey ahead promises to test their resilience, tactical discipline, and continental pedigree — as they once again carry Nigeria’s hopes on the biggest stage of African club football.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Africa’s Elite Clubs Await Fate as CAF Stages Quarter-final Draws

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the quarter-final draws for the 2025/26 editions of its two flagship interclub competitions — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
The CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League quarter-final draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on CAF’s official YouTube platform, CAF TV, allowing fans across the continent and beyond to follow proceedings in real time.
Road to the Finals Takes Shape
The draws will determine not only the quarter-final pairings but also the pathway to the finals in both competitions, effectively mapping out the remaining knockout journey for Africa’s elite clubs.
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-finals mark the beginning of direct elimination football — a phase traditionally defined by tactical discipline, squad depth and mental resilience. Clubs will be keenly watching the draw to gauge potential heavyweight clashes or favourable routes to the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, former title holders and emerging contenders alike will be hoping to avoid early confrontations against continental heavyweights. Similarly, in the Confederation Cup, where competitive balance has grown in recent seasons, the draw could produce intriguing North-South or West-East showdowns.
Strategic Importance for Clubs
Beyond sporting prestige, progression to the latter stages of CAF competitions carries significant financial incentives, enhanced continental ranking points and increased global visibility. With African club football enjoying expanded broadcast reach and commercial partnerships, success in these tournaments has become both a sporting and economic objective.
Hosting the draws at the Egyptian FA headquarters in Cairo reinforces the city’s status as a nerve centre of African football administration, as clubs await clarity on their next assignments in what promises to be a decisive knockout phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
All eyes will now turn to Cairo as Africa’s road to continental glory becomes clearer.
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CAF Champions League
How RS Berkane Cruised Past Rivers United to Seal Knockout Berth

Moroccan side RS Berkane delivered a commanding 3–0 victory over Rivers United FC to book their place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Berkane imposed themselves early and broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Youssef Mehri fired into the bottom corner following a swift attacking move.
The hosts doubled their lead seven minutes later as Paul Valère Bassène finished clinically after being played through by Mounir Chouiar, leaving Rivers United with a mountain to climb before halftime.
The contest was effectively settled eight minutes into the second half. Bassène grabbed his second of the night in the 53rd minute, converting from close range after a corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Berkane maintained control for the remainder of the match, limiting Rivers United to speculative efforts and half-chances before comfortably seeing out the encounter.
With the results, Pyramids FC finish top of Group A, while RS Berkane join them in the knockout phase as runners-up, bringing the group stage to a decisive conclusion.
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CAF Champions League
Pyramids Finish Top of Group A with Convincing Win Over Power Dynamos

Reigning CAF Champions League holders Pyramids FC signed off their group-stage campaign in style with a 3–1 victory over Power Dynamos FC on Matchday 6 to secure top spot in Group A.
The Egyptian side made a bright start and went ahead in the 16th minute when Mostafa Ziko rose highest to head home from a corner, underlining their early dominance.
Power Dynamos responded almost immediately. Frederick Mulambia restored parity a minute later, finishing from close range after a well-worked cross to briefly unsettle the hosts.
However, Pyramids regained control midway through the first half. In the 33rd minute, Youssef Obama reacted quickest inside the penalty area to restore the lead, sending the defending champions into the break 2–1 ahead.
The decisive moment came in the 59th minute when Ewerton unleashed a superb right-footed strike from outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner, extending the advantage to 3–1.
Despite late substitutions and sporadic pressure from the visitors, Pyramids managed proceedings comfortably to claim all three points and finish the group stage at the summit.
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