CAF Confederation Cup: Rivers United Suffer 1-0 Defeat to Black Bulls

Nigeria’s Rivers United kicked off their CAF Confederation Cup journey with a disappointing start, falling 1–0 to Mozambique’s Black Bulls in the first leg of the second preliminary round on Saturday.

The tightly contested encounter at the Estádio Nacional do Zimpeto saw the hosts capitalize on their home advantage, eventually breaking the deadlock midway through the second half after sustained pressure. Moctar Diallo netted the decisive goal for Black Bulls just five minutes after the restart, sending the home fans into celebration.

Despite controlling possession for large stretches of the game, Rivers United were unable to make their dominance count. The Nigerian side created several clear-cut chances but failed to convert, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the return leg.

The result puts added pressure on the Pride of Rivers ahead of the decisive second leg, which will be played next weekend at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. Rivers United must overturn the deficit to stand a chance of progressing to the lucrative group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup.