Nigerian clubs suffered mixed fortunes in CAF inter-club competitions on Sunday. Rivers United and Shooting Stars crashed out. El-Kanemi Warriors and Rangers International advanced. The results leave two Nigerian clubs carrying the country’s continental hopes.
Nigeria’s continental club record is inconsistent. Enyimba won the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004. Since then, Nigerian clubs have rarely reached the latter stages. The 2025/26 season saw Rivers United reach the Champions League group stage, a rare achievement. Shooting Stars’ return to continental football after more than two decades ended in the preliminary round. The gap between Nigerian clubs and North African giants like Al Ahly, Zamalek and Raja Casablanca remains wide.
Rivers United drew 2-2 with San Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire in Uyo. Finidi George’s side fell two goals behind but fought back to level. The tie ended 3-3 on aggregate after the first leg finished 1-1 in Côte d’Ivoire. San Pedro advanced on the away-goals rule. It was a painful exit for a club that had reached the group stage the previous season.
Shooting Stars lost 2-0 to CS Sfaxien in Tunisia. The Oluyole Warriors had taken a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Abeokuta. The Tunisian side overturned the deficit, sending Shooting Stars out 2-1 on aggregate. It was a harsh end to a campaign that had rekindled memories of the club’s continental past.
El-Kanemi Warriors survived a scare in Bissau, losing 1-0 to UDIB but advancing 3-1 on aggregate. They will face Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in the second preliminary round. Rangers International overcame Sobemap FC 5-4 on penalties in Lomé after the second leg ended 1-1. They will face Algerian side MC Alger.
The pattern is familiar. Nigerian clubs can compete in preliminary rounds. They struggle against North African opposition. The financial gap is significant. North African clubs have larger budgets, better infrastructure and deeper squads. Nigerian clubs rely on domestic talent and often lose their best players to foreign leagues.
Winners: El-Kanemi Warriors and Rangers International, who advance and earn prize money. Raja Casablanca and MC Alger, who face beatable Nigerian opponents. Losers: Rivers United and Shooting Stars, who exit early. Nigerian football, which loses continental representation. Fans who expected more from the NPFL champions. The clubs’ finances, which miss out on group-stage revenue.
Bottom Line: Two Nigerian clubs survived. Two crashed out. The pattern repeats because the money gap does not close.