African Club Rankings: Rivers United Lead Nigeria As NPFL Presence Shrinks

The latest African club rankings released after the group stages of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup have offered a sobering reflection of Nigerian football’s current continental standing.

Out of 77 clubs evaluated across Africa, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has just two representatives in the rankings. Rivers United F.C. occupies 22nd position with 15 points, while Enyimba F.C. sits 42nd with four points.

At face value, Rivers United’s 22nd-place ranking suggests a measure of competitiveness. However, a closer examination reveals both commendable effort and underlying structural limitations.

Rivers United remain Nigeria’s highest-ranked club in the current continental cycle, yet their 15-point tally reflects a campaign that promised more. A difficult group-stage run in the CAF Champions League — yielding one draw and five defeats — significantly curtailed their coefficient gains. Those dropped points not only stalled the club’s upward momentum but also negatively impacted Nigeria’s overall continental coefficient.

With other NPFL representatives eliminated earlier in continental competition, Rivers United effectively carried Nigeria’s ambitions this season. Their role as the league’s sole standard-bearer underscores the burden placed on a single club. Rankings extend beyond mere statistics; they influence tournament seedings, determine qualification slots, and shape the broader perception of a league’s competitive strength.

From an analytical standpoint, 22nd out of 77 clubs places Rivers United within the upper third of African football. Yet the gap between them and the continent’s elite remains significant. Clubs that consistently reach the quarter-finals and semi-finals accumulate ranking points through sustained high-level performance over multiple seasons. Rivers United’s inability to convert group-stage participation into victories ultimately limited their progress.

The contrast with Enyimba is particularly revealing. Once the benchmark of Nigerian continental excellence, Enyimba’s 42nd-place position highlights the regression experienced by Nigerian clubs over the past decade. Rivers United now competes not only against established North and Southern African powerhouses but also shoulders the responsibility of preserving Nigeria’s continental relevance largely on their own.

Looking ahead, the pressure intensifies. Should Rivers United return to continental competition next season, their performance will once again play a decisive role in shaping Nigeria’s coefficient and determining the country’s allocation of slots in future CAF tournaments.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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