{"id":10263,"date":"2023-10-03T03:38:07","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T03:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/rivers-advance-in-caf-cup-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-10-03T03:38:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T03:38:07","slug":"rivers-advance-in-caf-cup-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/rivers-advance-in-caf-cup-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Rivers advance in CAF Cup | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nJOHANNESBURG:
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Nigerian club Rivers United booked a CAF Confederation Cup group stage place on Sunday despite missing two penalties in a 2-0 home victory over Burkina Faso outfit Etoile Filante.<\/p>\n

Endurance Ebedebiri and Farouk Mohammed failed to convert spot kicks in Port Harcourt before Alex Oyowah came to the rescue with a late brace.<\/p>\n

Etoile, reduced to 10 men after a red card midway through the second half, held on until the 89th minute when Oyowah broke the deadlock.<\/p>\n

When Rivers were awarded a third penalty at the death, Oyowah was handed the responsibility and made no mistake by rifling the ball high into the corner of the net.<\/p>\n

Rivers won the final-round qualifier 2-0 on aggregate after a goalless first leg in the Ivory Coast, the temporary home of Etoile as they do not have an international-standard stadium.<\/p>\n

United are the only one of four Nigerian hopefuls to reach the group stage of a CAF club competition this season.<\/p>\n

Fellow Confederation Cup challengers Bendel Insurance were eliminated on Friday after a 1-0 second-leg loss to two-time title-holders Renaissance Berkane in Morocco.<\/p>\n

CAF Champions League contenders Enyimba and Remo Stars suffered the embarrassment of preliminary-round exits.<\/p>\n

Debutants Sekhukhune United from South Africa came from behind to hold Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-1 in Kinshasa and qualify 4-2 on aggregate.<\/p>\n

Lupopo struck first with Emmanuel Bola converting a 20th-minute penalty, and one more unanswered goal would have given them overall victory on away goals.<\/p>\n

But Sekhukhune levelled on 64 minutes through Tiklas Thutlwa and then survived late Congolese pressure.<\/p>\n

South Africa will have two clubs among the final 16 as SuperSport United trounced Gaborone United of Botswana 3-0 on Friday after a first-leg draw.<\/p>\n

Singida Fountain Gate, the last Tanzanian hopefuls in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League, fell 4-1 to 10-man Future of Egypt after taking a 1-0 lead into the return match.<\/p>\n

The sending off of Mahmoud Rizk when leading 2-1 did not deter the Egyptians and Omar Kamal and Nasser Maher scored to clinch a second successive appearance in the group stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n