Finidi’s Rivers United Suffer Heartbreak in CAF Champions League Exit
Finidi George’s Rivers United suffered a painful exit from the CAF Champions League after battling to a 2-2 draw against FC San Pedro at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Despite mounting an impressive comeback from two goals down, the Pride of Rivers couldn’t secure the win needed to reach the second preliminary round.
Coming off a promising 1-1 first-leg draw in Côte d’Ivoire—where Iyowuna Douglas came off the bench to cancel out Issouf Dosso’s 56th-minute strike—the Port Harcourt side seemed well-positioned to complete the job on home turf.
The Garden City outfit tore into the match early. Seconds after kickoff, Timothy Zachariah’s curling effort tested the San Pedro goalkeeper, who made a stunning save.
Soon after, Chijioke Mboama and Alex Oyowah saw back-to-back attempts blocked, while Wasiu Jimoh sent a volley wide off Oyowah’s header.
Yet, despite the home team’s dominant start, the visitors took the lead against the run of play in the 14th minute when an unmarked Abi Njambe turned in a cross from the right wing. Just five minutes later, San Pedro doubled their advantage with a brilliant long-range shot from Issouf Dosso.
The host team responded with urgency. Wasiu played Mboama through on goal, leading to a foul inside the penalty box. Mboama coolly converted the spot-kick to cut the deficit before the break.
The Pride of Rivers returned for the second half with high intensity, but lingering inefficiency in the final third continued to plague them.
Mboama headed wide from a Dabai Shehu corner, and Oyowah missed another clear opportunity. In the 82nd minute, Douglas nearly produced a moment of magic, sending a curling shot just inches wide of the target.
Five minutes later, the pressure finally told when San Pedro conceded a penalty while trying to clear a dangerous cross. Douglas stepped up and dispatched the ball past the keeper to make it 2-2.
Rivers United poured numbers forward in search of a winner, but their familiar struggle with converting crucial chances ultimately cost them as San Pedro held on to advance.
