An early goal in Suez ended the dreams of Stanley Eguma’s side in featuring in the elite African club competition
Rivers United have been eliminated from the 2021-22 Caf Champions League play-offs after they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Sudan’s Al Hilal in their second leg fixture on Sunday.
After playing out a 1-1 draw in Port Harcourt a week ago, the Pride of Rivers were stunned at the New Suez Stadium by Yasil Mohamed’s goal in the fourth minute which ended up separating both teams as the Sudanese hosts cruised into the group stage with a 2-1 aggregate win.
Th result leaves Nigeria with no representative in the Champions League after Nigeria Professional Football League champions Akwa United were knocked out in the first preliminary round by Algeria’s CR Belouizdad.
However, Rivers United still have a chance of playing on the continent as they dropped to the play-off round of the Confederation Cup.
In Tunisia, Anayo Iwuala’s Esperance came out victorious in a tough contest against Libya’s Al Ittihad with a 1-0 win.
Nassim Ben Khalifa scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute, after they settled for a goalless draw in the first leg.
Bayelsa United, one of Nigeria’s representatives in the Confederation Cup, failed to build on their 1-0 home win over Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien as they suffered a 4-0 loss in Sfax on Saturday.
The three-time Confederation Cup winners scored all four goals in the opening 45 minutes, thanks goals from Chris Kouakou, Mohamed Ben Ali, Ayem Harzi and Firas Chaouat.
Enyimba, meanwhile, thrashed Senegal’s Diambars 3-0 in Aba on Sunday to cruise into the next round of Caf’s second-tier club competition.
The People’s Elephants bagged a 4-0 aggregate victory, courtesy of goals from Tosin Omoyele, Victor Mbaoma and Samuel Kalu.
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