By Kunle Solaja.

Nigeria’s flagbearers, Rivers United, have been handed a challenging test in the group stage of the CAF Champions League, following Monday’s draw held at the SuperSport studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Port Harcourt-based side will compete in Group A, alongside Renaissance Sportive de Berkane of Morocco — the reigning CAF Confederation Cup champions — Pyramids FC of Egypt, last season’s African champions, and Power Dynamos of Zambia.

The draw, conducted at 1:00 p.m. local time, set up what promises to be one of the most competitive groups of this season’s tournament, bringing together four clubs with strong continental ambitions.

For Rivers United, it marks a return to the CAF Champions League group phase with the hope of surpassing their previous continental outings.

The Nigerian side will be aiming to make a strong impression against two North African giants and a seasoned Southern African opponent.

Group A is being widely described as a “battle of champions,” featuring teams that have recently lifted major domestic and continental titles.

RS Berkane, in particular, have emerged as one of Africa’s most consistent clubs in recent years, while Pyramids’ rapid rise has made them a formidable force in African club football.

Elsewhere, Group B has been tagged the “group of death,” pairing Al Ahly of Egypt — record 11-time African champions — with Young Africans of Tanzania, AS FAR of Morocco, and JS Kabylie of Algeria.

The group stage matches are expected to kick off later this month, with fixtures running through the early months of 2026. The top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals.

For Rivers United, the journey ahead promises to test their resilience, tactical discipline, and continental pedigree — as they once again carry Nigeria’s hopes on the biggest stage of African club football.

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The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has unveiled a bold new visual identity for its flagship interclub tournaments — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — ahead of the highly anticipated group stage draws.

The new design, launched on Monday, comes under the creative platform “The Heartbeat of African Football” and aims to capture the rhythm, passion, and unity that define the continent’s game. The official reveal was preceded by the group stage draw ceremony, took place at the studios of CAF’s broadcast partner, SuperSport, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to CAF, the refreshed identity embodies “the living rhythm of African football,” drawing inspiration from the movement and energy of the game on the pitch.

At its core is the Heartbeat Wave — a dynamic design built around three rhythmic elements that celebrate the soul of the competitions:

• Peak: Symbolizing the clubs and moments of triumph that elevate the rhythm.
• Flow: Representing the game and players, whose motion sustains the heartbeat, like blades of grass reacting to play.
• Repetition: Echoing the rhythm of fans — their chants, drums, and dances that create an unbroken beat inside stadiums.

Flowing lines in the design mirror the texture and motion of the football pitch, symbolizing the constant energy, emotion, and intensity of African football. Each element, CAF explains, was crafted to reflect “the heartbeat and rich story of African football” while projecting a bold, modern, and proudly African visual language.

The new identity will feature prominently across broadcast, digital, and event platforms, with CAF emphasizing its goal to enhance fan engagement and create a stronger emotional connection to its club competitions.

With this rebrand, CAF aims to position its interclub tournaments not only as sporting contests but as living celebrations of Africa’s passion, creativity, and football heritage.

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Nigeria’s flagbearers, Remo Stars, have been eliminated from the CAF Champions League after suffering another defeat to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, who completed a 7–1 aggregate rout on Sunday afternoon in Pretoria.

The outcome was never really in doubt following the Nigerian champions’ 1–5 loss at home in the first leg in Ikenne last week. The return fixture at Loftus Versfeld Stadium only confirmed the inevitable, as the reigning South African champions sealed qualification to the lucrative group stage with a routine 2–0 win.

Goals from Portuguese forward Nuno Santos in the 20th minute and Namibian talisman Peter Shalulile just before halftime ensured that the “Brazilians,” as Sundowns are fondly called, advanced with ease. The result left Remo Stars outclassed and out of Africa’s elite competition at the second qualifying hurdle.

Despite resting several first-team players, coach Miguel Cardoso’s men showed their depth and intent, dominating proceedings from start to finish. Captain Ronwen Williams and veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango anchored a disciplined backline, while Shalulile’s strike underlined his lethal form and cemented his reputation as one of the continent’s most consistent scorers.

Remo Stars made some attacking forays in the second half, but their efforts lacked precision and composure in the final third. The defeat, though painful, marks another learning curve for the Ikenne-based side in only their second appearance in continental competition.

With fellow South African club Orlando Pirates failing to reach the group stage, Sundowns will now fly their country’s flag alone as they aim for another deep run in the tournament, having finished as runners-up last season.

The draw for the CAF Champions’ League group stage will be held next Monday in Johannesburg, where other African heavyweights will be hoping to avoid a date with the free-scoring Sundowns.

For Remo Stars, attention will now turn to the CAF Confederation Cup play-offs — a second chance to continue their continental adventure.

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