Champions League: Sundowns humiliates Remo Stars as Finidi celebrates Rivers United feat

 South Africa side Mamelodi Sundowns secured their place in the CAF Champions League group stage after completing a 7–1 aggregate demolition of Remo Stars with a 2–0 victory in Sunday’s return leg at Loftus Versfeld.

The South African champions, who had already built a commanding four-goal cushion from the first leg in Abeokuta thanks to goals from Tashreeq Matthews, Peter Shalulile, Miguel Reisinho, Arthur Sales, and Tsiki Ntsabeleng, finished the job in clinical fashion on home soil.

Khuliso Mudau nearly opened the scoring in the seventh minute when he fired from a tight angle on the right flank, but the Remo Stars goalkeeper produced a brave block to keep his side level.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 21st minute through Nuno Santos, who capitalised on Aubrey Modiba’s high press. Modiba won possession on the left flank before cutting the ball back for Santos to pick his spot and fire past the goalkeeper.

The hosts looked in complete control and doubled their lead just before the interval.

From a Modiba corner, Shalulile reacted quickest in the box to redirect the ball beyond the Remo Stars defence, sending Sundowns into the break with a two-goal advantage.

Remo Stars struggled to cope with the Brazilians’ pressure but created a few openings after the restart.

Samson Olasupo came close in the 51st minute, hitting the side netting after a driving run into the box, before later sending another effort narrowly wide midway through the half.

At the other end, Shalulile was denied a brace early in the second period when his close-range effort was blocked by a wall of Remo defenders, while goalkeeper Obassa Adebiyi made several important saves to prevent further damage.

Despite easing off the pace in the latter stages, Sundowns continued to create chances.

Remo Stars’ late counterattacks offered little reward, as Denis Onyango remained largely untroubled to preserve a clean sheet.

The 2–0 victory sealed an emphatic 7–1 aggregate triumph, confirming Sundowns’ passage to the Champions’ League group stage and extending their impressive continental run.

Elsewhere, Rivers United coach Finidi George is proud of the team’s achievement of reaching the group stage of the CAF Champions League for the first time in their history, as well as ending Nigeria’s six-year drought in the competition.

The 2022 Nigeria Premier Football League champions made history at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Saturday, defeating Black Bulls of Mozambique 3-1 and securing a spot in the group stage of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League.

Having lost the first leg 1-0 away, Rivers United secured a 3-2 aggregate win to remain as the only Nigerian club on the continent this season, following the elimination of Remo Stars, Kwara United, and Abia Warriors.

The qualification will mark Finidi’s first taste of first-tier continental club football in Africa since returning to the NPFL as a coach in 2021. He joined Rivers United last season after about three years at Enyimba, as well as a short stint as the Super Eagles head coach.

“I am quite happy for the victory and the hard-fought battle. Yes, to have qualified is great for everybody here. We have been looking forward to this, and it has happened. Personally, it is an achievement to get to this stage, and going forward, we will see how we can compete in the group stages,” Finidi told journalists after the game.

“We will see the draws and take each game as they come. We know how difficult this tournament is, so we will add one or two players to this squad. But we will enjoy this for now and take each game at a time. We could have won in Mozambique because we created enough chances to have got something out of it, but it didn’t happen. Fortunately for us, we scored three at home, and it is a well-deserved qualification.”

Needing a win at home, Rivers United got off to a flying start, dominating proceedings with Boluwaji Sholumade, Wasiu Falolu, and Seyi Oguntayo in the midfield, and it paid off with Wasiu Falolu scoring in the 15th minute to level the aggregate score at 1-1. The goal came after Maclyn Biokpo’s shot was blocked, and Falolu capitalised on the rebound.

They continued to dominate with Osagie Onisodumeya having a solid back four of Isaac Annor, Taiwo AbdulRafiu, Stephen Manyo, and Ogechukwu Ogbu, and just before half-time, Maclyn Biokpo converted a penalty, awarded after Timothy Zachariah, set up by Ubong Friday, was tripped in the box, to make it 2-0.

Black Bulls pulled one back within the opening five minutes of the second half, with Moctar Diallo finding the back of the net, as the aggregate score was level at 2-2, and the away-goal rule threatened to eliminate the Nigerian side.

However, Zachariah crowned his man-of-the-match performance with a superb strike in the 78th minute, off an assist from Manyo, to secure the win and send Rivers United to the group stage after four attempts.

The last Nigerian club to play in the CAF Champions League group stage was Lobi Stars during the 2018/19 season.