From what looked an imminent victory over the visiting Moroccan side, RS Berkane, Rivers United suddenly plunged into a 2-1 loss in the match day 2 of the CAF Champions League.

Rivers United had taken the lead in the 38^th minute when a Berkane defender and Senegalese import, Mamadou Lamine Camara cleared the ball into his own net. Rivers United held on tenaciously to the lone goal till the regulation time.

Then came a seven-minute added time. Rivers United did everything to wind down the time leading to an additional three minutes which proved suicidal.

Youness El Kaabi pounced on a loose ball from a free kick in the seventh minute of the added time to draw level for the Moroccans.

Before the Rivers United could recover from the shock, Berkane scored the winner through Mounir Chouiar after an initial strike hit the goal post.

With the result, Rivers United flowed into the backwaters of the Group A table.

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Nigeria’s remaining hopeful in the CAF Champions League, Rivers United, return to action this Friday determined to revive their Group A campaign when they face Moroccan giants RS Berkane at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

Matchday 2 of the group stage begins this weekend with 16 clubs continuing their push for a place in the knockout rounds.

After falling 3–0 to holders Pyramids FC in Cairo last week, Rivers United know that anything short of a strong home performance could derail their ambitions early.

Head coach Finidi George acknowledged in a statement on CAFonline that there is pressure on his side but insisted the players are mentally ready to deliver.

“We owe it to our fans to rise up to the occasion and get a result against RS Berkane,” Finidi said.
“We did well for 50 minutes against Pyramids and then lost concentration. We cannot afford to do that tomorrow(this Friday). We have the players that can get the job done and I believe they will step up.”

Midfielder Temple Emekayi echoed his coach’s determination, admitting that playing home matches away from their traditional base in Port Harcourt has been far from ideal.

“Although we would have been happier playing in front of our own fans in Port Harcourt, this is a situation beyond us and we just have to make the best of it,” Emekayi said.

“It is incumbent on us, the players, to rise from the defeat to Pyramids in Cairo and get a good result against RS Berkane. We will go in there and give our very best.”

Despite opening their campaign with a confident win over Power Dynamos, RS Berkane coach Mounie Chaabani insists his side will not underestimate Rivers United.

“Against Power Dynamos, we showed discipline and focus and were able to score the goals that we needed,” he said.

“Tomorrow (this Friday) against Rivers United, it will be difficult because they are a disciplined team as well. We will not underrate them at all. Our goal is to play our game and get a result here. It will be difficult but not impossible.”

Midfielder Rayan Aabid added that the team is unfazed by playing in Uyo for the first time.

“The fact that this is the first time we are playing on the pitch of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium is not a challenge,” he said.
“We respect Rivers United because they have been consistent in Africa over the past few years, but we will play our normal game and we believe that will be good enough to get us a result.”

With Pyramids and RS Berkane already showing strong early form, Rivers United must avoid a second consecutive defeat to stay in contention for a top-two finish.

Friday’s clash in Uyo promises intensity, pressure, and a huge opportunity for the Nigerians to ignite their CAF Champions League campaign and keep their knockout hopes alive.

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Fresh from dismantling Rivers United 3–0 in their CAF Champions League opener last weekend, Egyptian champions Pyramids FC have been hit by a major setback as their influential winger Ramadan Sobhi has been slammed with a four-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over an anti-doping violation.

The Egyptian Anti-Doping Organisation confirmed on Wednesday that the 28-year-old, who played a crucial role in Pyramids’ first-ever CAF Champions League title last season, has been sanctioned after CAS upheld an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“We have received an official letter confirming Ramadan Sobhi’s four-year suspension in a doping case,” said Hazem Khamis, head of the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organisation.

According to the body, the punishment stems from doping allegations and suspected sample tampering, an issue Khamis described as “unprecedented in Egypt.”

Sobhi, a former English Premier League player with Stoke City and Huddersfield Town and capped 37 times by Egypt, has not publicly commented.

His lawyer told local media that an appeal to the Swiss Federal Court is being prepared in a final bid to overturn the ruling.

The suspension is a major blow for Pyramids, who had relied heavily on Sobhi during last season’s continental run and expected him to play a key role again this campaign.

Second Legal Battle: Academic Fraud Case Deepens Woes

Compounding the club’s troubles, Sobhi, according to an Egyptian publication, Kingfut, also remains in custody over a separate academic fraud and forgery case, with a Giza criminal court ruling that he be detained until at least December 30.

The forward is accused—alongside three others—of forging exam documents, falsifying attendance records, and paying a proxy to sit examinations on his behalf at a tourism and hotels institute.

Though Sobhi has denied all wrongdoing, the allegations have dragged him into one of the most high-profile academic fraud cases in recent Egyptian sports history.

He was initially granted bail after paying LE100,000 but was later arrested at Cairo International Airport upon his return from Istanbul when an earlier in absentia ruling triggered a warrant for his detention.

Pyramids Yet to Respond

Pyramids FC, who are already dealing with injuries to key players, have not released any official statement on either the doping sanction or the academic fraud case.

The timing is particularly damaging, coming just days after their convincing victory over Rivers United in Cairo as they began their CAF Champions League title defence.

With Sobhi now facing a four-year absence from football and a looming court trial, Pyramids’ early-season momentum has been overshadowed by the uncertain future of one of their most influential players.

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