Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria’s league champions, Rivers United FC qualified for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup last night following the 1-1 they played against Libya’s Al-Nasr Benghazi. They won the first leg 5-0 at home in Port Harcourt last week thus booking the ticket to the lucrative group stage on 6-1 aggregate.
Nigeria’s other representatives, Plateau United squandered their 4-1 advantage from the first leg in Abuja last week to lose 3-0 to another Libyan club Al Akhdar yesterday and crash out on the away goal rule.
After a goalless first half, Plateau United capitulate to the Libyans, conceding three goals in 28 minutes.
The NPFL runners-up spurned several chances to score in Libya.
However, in the typical North African fashion, both Nigerian teams were subjected to humiliating intimidation by fans of the two Libyan club sides.
An official of Rivers United tweeted last night that they were under attack at the Benin’s Martyrs Stadium. “ Our General Manager has been hit and his phone taken. Our Media Officer slapped. Unfortunately, the police men here are collaborators,” claimed the Rivers United official.
