Rivers United seal Caf Confederation Cup quarterfinal spot despite Diables Noirs draw

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria Champions, Rivers United have booked their spot in the quarterfinal of the Confederation Cup despite a  2-2 draw with Diables Noirs of Congo in a group stage encounter in Uyo on Sunday.

Smarting from a fourth consecutive win against Motema Pembe in a fortnight, Ghanaian import Emmanuel Ampiah, gave the visitors the lead after mistaking putting the ball in his own net at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

The Congolese held on to the narrow lead till Nyima Nwangwa broke their resilience to pull the hosts level with his 73rd-minute equaliser. Four minutes later, Nwangwa completed his brace of the match to put the Pride of Rivers in front for the first time in the contest.

With Stanley Eguma’s side on the brink of celebrating a fourth straight win and opening a five-point, Deo Bassinga dealt it a massive blow with the equaliser nine minutes from regulation time.

The draw ended Rivers United’s three-match winning run and ensured that Diables Noirs picked four points against the Nigerian side after a first leg 3-0 victory in the group opener.

With the latest draw plus victories over Asec Mimosa and DC Motema Pembe (twice), Rivers United remain top of Group B with ten points ahead of Asec Mimosa (7 points), Diables Noirs (5 points), and Motema Pembe (2 points).

Up next for Rivers United is its last group match, an away and group-winner deciding clash with Asec Mimosa on April 2 after league games against Enugu Rangers, Abia Warriors, and Lobi Stars.