Desmond Iwuchukwu
Nigeria’s only survivor on the continent, Rivers State has crashed out of the CAF Confederation Cup following a two-nil aggregate loss to the Young Africans of Tanzania in the quarter-final of the competition.
The Port Harcourt-based side lost the first leg tie two nil in Uyo while they were held to a goalless draw in the second leg tie at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam.
In a tense and closely-fought second-leg encounter, Young Africans held on to their first-leg advantage to progress to the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, despite a spirited effort put up by the ‘Pride of Rivers’ on Sunday.
Despite creating a few opportunities in the first half, Rivers United could not find the back of the net, and the game remained goalless at halftime.
The second half saw the Tanzanian side pushing for a goal, but the Nigerian defense held firm, with goalkeeper Victor Sochima making a number of key saves to keep his side in the game.
The game ended in a 0-0 draw, meaning Young Africans won the tie 2-0 on aggregate and advanced to the semi-finals of the competition.
The Young Africans fans were in high spirits as they celebrated their team’s progression to the next round.
The Rivers United players, however, expressed disappointment with their performance as their quest to become the first Nigerian side to win the CAF Confederation Cup was dashed by the Tanzanian champions.
With this result, Young Africans will now face Marumo Gallants of South Africa in the semi-finals of the TotalEneriges CAF Confederation Cup, while Rivers United will now shift their focus to the domestic league as they aim to finish the season on a high note.
The team is still optimistic of reclaiming the league they won last year, after crashing out of the continental competition.
