Nigeria’s only surviving team in CAF inter-club championships, Rivers United, yesterday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, rose from imminent elimination to qualify for the quarterfinal of the Confederation Cup. They beat Dream FC 2-1 to join the Ghanaian team in the last eight of the championship.
Rivers United were down and almost out of the championship after 90 minutes having only managed a 1-1 position with the gutsy Ghanaians, who beat the Nigerian side 2-1 in the first leg of their tie.
Abdul Aziz Isah gave the Ghanaians a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute of the game watched by top government dignitaries and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials. But Echeta Ugonna Deputy evened scores in the 60th minute to ensure a frantic ending to the tie as Rivers United sought the campaign-saving goal.
Dream FC dug in, hoping to hold out and eliminate their hosts. They adopted every trick in the rule book to keep Rivers United at bay, but Seth Agyemang fell foul of the rules in the 80th minute and was promptly sent off for ungentlemanly display.
With a man advantage, Rivers United took the fight to the Ghanaians, who resisted every pressure on them until the 100th minute when Enyinnaya Kazie Godswill scored the earth-shattering goal to turn the Godswill Akpabio Stadium into a carnival centre.
The win took Rivers United to the second position on 12 points from six games, the same as Dream FC, who lead the group on a plus-four goals difference to Rivers United’s plus-two.
It also means that Club Africain of Tunisia have been eliminated from the competition as they ended with 10 points from six games.
