Rivers United await CAF Champions League Group draw in November

By Dayo Awoniyi

Rivers United will discover their group-stage opponents in the 2025/26 CAF Champions League when the official draw takes place on Monday, November 3, 2025.

The ceremony, set to be held at the SuperSport Studios in Johannesburg, will begin at 12:00 GMT and will be streamed live across all CAF digital platforms.

The Nigerian champions booked their place in the group stage after overcoming Black Bullet of Mozambique 3–2 on aggregate — a remarkable achievement that makes them the first Nigerian team in seven years to reach this phase of the competition.

The feat has rekindled memories of Enyimba International’s famous back-to-back CAF Champions League triumphs in 2003 and 2004, with the Aba-based club still standing as Nigeria’s only winners of the prestigious trophy.

For Rivers United, this qualification marks another significant step in their steady rise in African football.

Having impressed in the CAF Confederation Cup in recent seasons — including a quarter-final appearance — the Pride of Rivers now aim to emulate Enyimba’s success and make a deep run in Africa’s elite club tournament.

A total of 16 clubs have qualified for the group stage, which will feature four groups of four teams.

Qualified Teams for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League Group Stage:

• Al Ahly (Egypt)

• Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

• ES Tunis (Tunisia)

• AS FAR Rabat (Morocco)

• MC Alger (Algeria)

• JS Kabylie (Algeria)

• Petro de Luanda (Angola)

• Simba SC (Tanzania)

• Stade Malien (Mali)

• Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)

• Power Dynamos (Zambia)

• St. Éloi Lupopo (DR Congo)

• Young Africans (Tanzania)

• Rivers United (Nigeria)

• Pyramids FC / Ethiopian Insurance (to be decided)

• RS Berkane / Al Ahly Tripoli (to be decided)

Rivers United will be hoping for a favourable draw as they look to continue their quest for continental glory and bring the CAF Champions League title back to Nigeria.

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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