CAF Champions League
Pyramids FC Storm Into CAF Champions League Knockout Stage, End Rivers United’s Campaign
Egypt’s Pyramids FC sealed their place in the knockout stage of the CAF Champions League with a commanding 4–1 comeback victory over Nigeria’s Rivers United in a Group C encounter on Sunday.
The result confirmed Pyramids FC’s progression to the last eight while simultaneously ending Rivers United’s hopes, as the Nigerian champions suffered a fourth defeat in the group—remarkably their third loss on home soil.
Rivers United had taken a surprise lead through Stephen Manyo in the 33rd minute, before the break, lifting hopes of a revival in front of their home supporters.
However, the Egyptian side returned from halftime with renewed purpose and completely turned the game on its head, scoring four unanswered goals to underline their superiority.
Their comeback began with Mostafa Fathy levelling up in the 52nd minute before snatching the lead through a Marwan Hamdy penalty kick in the 77th minute.
Jordanian Odeh Fakhoury extended the lead just two minutes into regulation time before Nasser Maher put the final nail in the coffin, a minute into the added time.
Pyramids FC’s second-half onslaught exposed the defensive frailties of the hosts, who struggled to cope with the visitors’ pace, movement and clinical finishing as the match wore on.
The emphatic win lifted the Egyptian side beyond reach in Group C, mathematically securing their passage to the knockout phase with a game to spare.
For Rivers United, the defeat confirmed an early exit from the competition and compounded a disappointing continental campaign. Having now lost four group matches, including three at home, the Nigerian side will be left to reflect on missed opportunities and defensive lapses that proved costly at this level.
With qualification assured, Pyramids FC can now approach their remaining group fixture with confidence as they look ahead to the business end of Africa’s premier club competition.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Power Dynamos bounced back into reckoning after beating Morocco’s RS Berkane 2-0 to level on points at seven. A win on Saturday against Pyramids could see them pick the second ticket of the group if Rivers United win their away duel against Berkane.
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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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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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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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