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CAF Confederation Cup

Nigeria Premier League club owners salute Rivers United for ensuring Nigeria’s retention of four slots in CAF inter-clubs competitions

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The feat was not just for Rivers United. It is for the good of Nigerian football, so say the other clubs in the Nigeria Premier League as Rivers United scaled the group stage hurdle into CAF Confederation Cup knockout stage.

“There is celebration in the land by football lovers”, declares the spokesman of the club owners, Godwin Enakhena who is the chairman of Sporting Lagos.

“The reason is simple. Come next season, four football clubs from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) will once again be representing the country in the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) competitions.

“All thanks to Rivers United football club of Port Harcourt who against all odds defeated Dreams Football Club of Ghana 2-1 in a pulsating encounter at the magnificent Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on Sunday.

“It was a game that the Pride Of Rivers state were condemned to wining, and they did in a dramatic faction at the death to book a quarter final slot and keeping Nigeria’s four slots on the continent.

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Speaking on behalf of the NPFL Club Owners Association shortly after the game, Honourable Kunle Soname described the performance of Rivers United as the hallmark of champions.

“Champions don’t give up easily, and this was what Rivers United, the Pride of Nigeria football did on Sunday. The nation is in a joyous mood, everyone in the Club Owners Association is happy because this was indeed a welcome relief as we all knew what a defeat would’ve done to our league.

“Once again, we salute the players, officials and our chairman, Chief Okey Kpaluku for this wonderful result. Our pride and slots are intact. It is operation win the CAF Confederation Cup for Nigeria and they’ve our support”, concluded the Vice Chairman, South of the club owners.

In his remarks, Chief Kpaluku thanked the Club owners for their support and promised that Rivers United will not end their journey in the quarter finals but have their eyes set on the trophy.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.