CAF Champions League
Rivers United Eye Historic Upset in Cairo Against Defending Champions Pyramids FC
Rivers United will step onto the turf of the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Saturday with one mission—announce their arrival among Africa’s elite by challenging reigning CAF Champions League champions Pyramids FC in their opening Group A fixture.
For the Port Harcourt-based side, this clash marks a historic milestone. Rivers United are Nigeria’s first club to reach the CAF Champions League group stage since Enyimba in 2018, and their maiden appearance comes with both pride and purpose.
Coach Finidi George, whose side finished runners-up in the Nigeria Premier Football League last season, led the team to the group stage after tough aggregate victories:
- 1–0 over Aigles du Congo (DR Congo)
- 3–2 over Black Bulls (Mozambique)
The Nigerians now have their sights set on proving they belong at this level. While Pyramids FC enter the match as clear favourites—armed with a 5-0 and 3-1 aggregate sweep through the preliminaries—the Nigerian flag-bearers believe they can cause an upset.
Finidi George has placed emphasis on defensive discipline and transitional play, the same approach that carried Rivers through two challenging rounds.
The Nigerian side will also draw confidence from the fact that Pyramids will be without several key players, including Ramadan Sobhi, Osama Galal and Mostafa Fathi, all ruled out through injury.
Their Congolese star Fiston Mayele and Moroccan defender Mohamed Chibi will arrive late after attending the CAF Awards.
Rivers United, in contrast, have had uninterrupted preparations and travel to Cairo with a full-strength squad.
Olanrewaju Yemi Daniel, assistant to Coach Finidi George remarked on a radio programme anchored by Godwin Enakhena that Rivers United have respect for the defending champions, but are far from being afraid.
Pyramids FC enter the group stage on the back of a fairytale year—winning the CAF Champions League, CAF Super Cup, and the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Club Championship, as well as dominating the CAF Awards.
But Rivers United insist they are not in Cairo to admire their hosts.
“We know what Pyramids have achieved, but we also know what we are capable of,” a club official said before departure. “This is a chance for Rivers United to show that Nigerian football still belongs among Africa’s very best.”
Coach Finidi has reportedly echoed the sentiment internally, urging his players to approach the fixture with “courage, structure and belief.”
Group A Battle Begins
Rivers United share Group A with:
- Pyramids FC (Egypt) – defending champions
- RS Berkane (Morocco) – two-time CAF Confederation Cup winners
- Power Dynamos (Zambia)
A positive start in Cairo could set the tone for what would be a landmark campaign for Nigerian club football.
For Rivers United, Saturday’s match is more than a group-stage opener—it is a statement of return, resilience and ambition.
And as they walk out into the echoing stands of the 30 June Stadium, they will be carrying the hopes of a nation eager to see Nigeria reclaim its place on the continent’s biggest club stage.
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Africa’s premier club competition roars back this weekend with a heavyweight slate of Matchday 1 fixtures, led by a headline showdown in Cairo where defending champions Pyramids FC host Nigeria’s Rivers United in Group A.
The opening round promises fireworks before the tournament breaks for the AFCON window in December and January.
Backed by home support and fresh off a Super Cup triumph, Krunoslav Jurčić’s Pyramids enter the clash in confident mood. The Cairo giants boast a strong core anchored by goalkeeper Ahmed El-Shenawy, midfield conductor Walid El Karti, and lethal striker Fiston Mayele.
However, they will be without influential trio Ramadan Sobhi, Osama Galal, and Mostafa Fathi, yet expectations remain high following last season’s title run.
Rivers United travel to Egypt with renewed momentum and defensive discipline. The Port Harcourt side have shown improved attacking sharpness domestically, prompting coach Finidi George to sound upbeat ahead of the away test.
“I’m quite happy that we have scored two; maybe by the next game we can score three,” Finidi said after their recent morale-boosting league win. “Let’s take it one game at a time. We just have to enjoy this now and focus on Pyramids.”
The group’s other fixture sees RS Berkane—the former CAF Confederation Cup champions turned Botola Pro titleholders—host Zambia
MATCHDAY 1 FIXTURES (All times GMT)
CAF Champions League
Friday, 21 November
13:00 — Al-Hilal Omdurman (SUD) vs MC Alger (ALG)
Saturday, 22 November
13:00 — Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs St Éloi Lupopo (DRC)
13:00 — Young Africans (TAN) vs AS FAR Rabat (MAR)
16:00 — Al Ahly (EGY) vs JS Kabylie (ALG)
16:00 — Espérance Tunis (TUN) vs Stade Malien (MLI)
19:00 — RS Berkane (MAR) vs Power Dynamos (ZAM)
19:00 — Pyramids (EGY) vs Rivers United (NGA)
Sunday, 23 November
13:00 — Simba (TAN) vs Petro Atlético (ANG)
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Nigeria’s flagbearers, Rivers United, face a stern early test on Saturday night as they storm Cairo to take on Egyptian giants Pyramids FC and defending champions in one of the headline fixtures of Matchday 1 of the CAF Champions’ League group stage.
The encounter — one of the biggest opening-night clashes — pits Rivers United against the reigning Champions League holders, who are banking on home support and continental pedigree to begin their title defence on a strong note.
For Rivers United, the match offers a major opportunity to assert Nigeria’s relevance in Africa’s elite club competition after years of inconsistency by NPFL sides on the continental scene.
Africa’s premier club tournaments — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — officially return this weekend, featuring a packed field of heavyweights and ambitious challengers from every region of the continent.
Aside from the Pyramids vs Rivers United showdown, Matchday 1 delivers several high-profile duels. Morocco’s RS Berkane host Zambia’s Power Dynamos in another headline fixture, while Africa’s most successful club, Al Ahly, begin their chase for a record-extending 13th crown at home to JS Kabylie.
Elsewhere, four-time champions Espérance de Tunis welcome Stade Malien, and Mamelodi Sundowns kick off their campaign against DR Congo’s St Éloi Lupopo. Young Africans face AS FAR in a Tanzania–Morocco duel rich in history and rivalry.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, former winners Zamalek and USM Alger headline a strong field that also includes Wydad, CR Belouizdad, Kaizer Chiefs, Stellenbosch, Azam and ZESCO United. Newcomers Nairobi United embark on their maiden continental journey with a tough trip to Wydad.
An all-Egyptian group promises fireworks as Zamalek host ZESCO and Al Masry battle Kaizer Chiefs. Other notable fixtures include OC Safi travelling to Djoliba and Maniema Union hosting Azam in a vibrant East–Central Africa clash.
Two matchdays will be completed before action pauses for the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. The group stage will resume in January 2026.
MATCHDAY 1 FIXTURES (All times GMT)
CAF Champions League
Friday, 21 November
13:00 — Al-Hilal Omdurman (SUD) vs MC Alger (ALG)
Saturday, 22 November
13:00 — Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) vs St Éloi Lupopo (DRC)
13:00 — Young Africans (TAN) vs AS FAR Rabat (MAR)
16:00 — Al Ahly (EGY) vs JS Kabylie (ALG)
16:00 — Espérance Tunis (TUN) vs Stade Malien (MLI)
19:00 — RS Berkane (MAR) vs Power Dynamos (ZAM)
19:00 — Pyramids (EGY) vs Rivers United (NGA)
Sunday, 23 November
13:00 — Simba (TAN) vs Petro Atlético (ANG)
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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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