Rivers United’s CAF Champions League campaign ended in heavy and disappointing fashion on Saturday night, as the Nigerian side fell 3-0 to RS Berkane at the Stade Municipal de Berkane.
The defeat confirmed their exit from the competition and sealed a difficult group stage run that will go down as one of the toughest outings for an NPFL club on the continental stage, kristina reports.
Rivers United End CAF Champions League Campaign Without a Win
Rivers United struggled from the opening whistle against a confident RS Berkane side that needed victory to secure second place in the group.
Finidi George’s men failed to create any clear chances, while the hosts took control of possession and dictated the tempo throughout the contest.
Youssef Mehri opened the scoring in the 38th minute, finishing calmly to give the Moroccan side the lead.
Just before the break, Paul Bassene doubled the advantage, putting Rivers United under more pressure heading into halftime.
Any hopes of a response faded early in the second half when Bassene struck again in the 53rd minute. That third goal effectively ended the contest, leaving Rivers United chasing shadows for the remainder of the game.
The result meant that the Pride of Rivers finished bottom of the group with one draw and five defeats in six matches.
They scored just two goals and conceded 13, highlighting the gap between the Port Harcourt club and their continental rivals.
Rivers United Record Unwanted CAF Champions League History
The 3-0 defeat capped a disappointing series of results for the Garden City side in this year’s CAF Champions League. Their group stage fixtures included:
Pyramids 3-0 Rivers United
Rivers United 1-2 RS Berkane
Power Dynamos 0-0 Rivers United
Rivers United 0-1 Power Dynamos
Rivers United 1-4 Pyramids
RS Berkane 3-0 Rivers United
In the group’s other matchday six encounter, holders Pyramids defeated Power Dynamos 3-1 to finish top with 16 points from six games.
For Rivers United, however, the numbers tell a painful story. Six matches, no wins, one draw, and five losses.
They became the first Nigerian club to go winless in six CAF Champions League group stage matches while losing five in a single campaign.
Finidi George’s side showed resilience at times, particularly in the goalless draw away to Power Dynamos, but consistency and cutting edge in attack were missing across the competition.
Defensive lapses and missed opportunities ultimately defined their run.
Rivers United now return home with lessons to learn after a campaign that exposed areas needing improvement if they are to compete consistently at Africa’s highest level.