Rivers United Exit CAF Champions League After San Pedro Draw in Uyo

Rivers United Exit CAF Champions League After San Pedro Draw in Uyo

Rivers United have been eliminated from the 2026/27 CAF Champions League after being held to a 2-2 draw by FC San Pedro in the second leg of their first preliminary-round tie at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Sunday.

The result left the tie level at 3-3 on aggregate following last weekend’s 1-1 draw in Côte d’Ivoire, but San Pedro advanced to the next round on the away-goals rule.

Rivers United had entered the return leg with the advantage of an away goal after Douglas Iyowuna came off the bench to rescue a 1-1 draw in the opening encounter at the Laurent Pokou Stadium.

However, the Nigerian champions were forced onto the back foot in Uyo after San Pedro scored twice during the opening 20 minutes to establish an early advantage and put Rivers United under considerable pressure.

The Pride of Rivers responded before the break, with Chijioke Mbaoma converting a 41st-minute penalty to reduce the deficit and revive the home side’s hopes of completing the comeback.

Rivers United returned for the second half with greater attacking intent and eventually restored parity when Douglas Iyowuna found the net to make it 2-2.

The Nigerian side then pushed forward in search of the decisive goal, knowing that another goal would send them through on aggregate. San Pedro, however, held firm during the closing stages to preserve the result and secure qualification.

The elimination is a disappointing outcome for Rivers United, who had competed in the CAF Champions League group stage during the previous campaign. The club had entered this season’s competition with a largely rebuilt squad, with coach Finidi George acknowledging before the opening leg that several players from the previous campaign had departed.

San Pedro’s progression means Rivers United’s continental campaign ends at the first preliminary-round stage, despite recovering from a goal down to earn a valuable away draw in the first leg and subsequently scoring twice in the return fixture.

The result also means Nigeria’s representation in the competition has suffered an early setback, with Rivers United unable to convert home advantage into the qualification their first-leg performance had placed within reach.

CAF regulations stipulate that in preliminary-round ties, the team with the higher aggregate score advances, while an aggregate draw is decided by the number of away goals scored.