…To play Club Africain July 2
In spite of their hard fought 2-1 victory over Kampala Capital City Authority of Uganda in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup Group A duel at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Rivers United may yet be unsure of progressing from the group.
Rivers United will play Club Africain of Tunisia on July 2 in their next game in the series at the same venue in Port Harcourt to intensify their quest of breaking the cup jinx.
The club currently shares the same points with the Nigerian side. No Nigerian team has won the CAF Confederation Cup in its present format and Rivers United is hoping they can break the jinx.
They have, however, they just won two games out of four matches played so far in the group, and remain in the bottom of the log.
But Rivers United Technical Manager, Stanley Eguma, is optimistic the team would forge ahead in the series after two loses.
“We are representing Nigeria and Nigeria is a very big country as far as football is concerned. It is no retreat, no surrender for us,” Eguma declared.
Fath Union Sport of Morocco and Kampala City Council FC are leading the group with six points each, after two victories too.
Rivers United qualified for the championship after they crashed out of the CAF Champions League with the NPFL defending champions, Rangers International from the preliminary stage.
Rivers got off to the best start when Bernard Ovoke scored from Sakin Bolaji’s corner-kick to open scoring for the home side during the keenly contested match against KCCA.
The home team later increased tally to 2-0 after Frederick Obomate scored with the impressive Ovoke grabbing an assist in the 15th minute.
With the halftime break fast approaching, the visitors pushed forward in search of their first goal and they did manage to pull one back.
Geoffrey Serunkuma made it 2-1 for KCCA on the stroke of halftime after the Rivers defence failed to clear a free-kick. Rivers were leading 2-1 at the interval.
The home side started the second half brightly with Emeka Atuloma forcing Kisembo into a save from a free-kick just three minutes into the second half.
Then Kisembo went down injured and he was replaced by KCCA’s reserve shot-stopper Benjamin Ochan nine minutes before the hour-mark.
In the 64th minute, Ovoke dribbled past a few KCCA defenders, before unleashing a shot which missed the target as he looked to test Ochan.
Ivorian striker Guy Keumian was introduced in the 73rd minute by the Rivers technical team as they looked to restore the home side’s two-goal lead.
KCCA nearly grabbed a late equaliser, but Rivers keeper Abiodun Akande was alert as he denied Derrick Nsibambi in the 85th minute.
The visitors then suffered a major blow in the closing stages of the match as Habib Kavuma was sent off after receiving his second yellow card and ultimately Rivers ran out 2-1 winners.
