Nigeria's sole representative at the CAF Confederations Cup, Rivers United, claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Algerian giants USM Algiers, Soccernet.ng reports.
NPFL side Rivers United welcomed Algeria's USM Algiers to the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt for the first leg of their CAF Confederations Cup quarterfinal clash.
It was expected to be a tough game for the Pride of Rivers because of North African teams' dominance over Nigerian teams in recent years, but the former NPFL champions presented a tough challenge.
Rivers United dominated the game from the blast of the whistle, and they got into the lead after just ten minutes after a brilliant move.
The Rivers United-based side had a corner, and instead of sending a cross into the area, Sadiq Adamu sent a nice pass to Augustine Okejepha, who was lurking outside the box. The forward took no prisoners, as he struck the ball with venom to send it into the right of USM Algiers' goal.
Rivers United 1-0 Usma Alger
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After scoring, Rivers United did not rest on their oars, as they kept pushing for more goals. However, they just lacked the cutting edge. They registered 30 goal attempts, but because of their profligacy, they had to settle for a 1-0 win.
Rivers United will travel to Algiers next Sunday for the second leg, and it promises to be a stern test for them.
