Pyramids FC sealed top spot in Group A of the 2025-2026 CAF Champions League after producing a commanding second-half performance to beat Rivers United 4-1 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Sunday.

The Egyptian champions recovered from a first-half setback to secure qualification for the quarter-finals with a match to spare.

Rivers United briefly lifted home hopes when Stephen Manu broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute, unleashing a powerful long-range strike that beat the goalkeeper against the flow of play.

That advantage, however, did not last long. Pyramids emerged after the break with renewed purpose and quickly seized control of the match.

The equaliser arrived in the 53rd minute when Mostafa Fathi latched onto a well-weighted pass from Mostafa Zico and finished with composure to restore parity and tilt momentum firmly in the visitors’ favour.

With Rivers increasingly pinned back, Pyramids dictated possession and tempo, creating sustained pressure in search of a breakthrough.

The decisive moment came in the 77th minute when a handball inside the penalty area resulted in a spot kick, which Marwan Hamdi calmly converted to put Pyramids ahead.

As Rivers United pushed forward in pursuit of an equaliser, defensive gaps began to appear. Substitute Awda Al-Fakhoury netted his first goal for the club with a composed finish in the 88th minute, before Nasser Maher struck in stoppage time to complete an emphatic late surge.

The result lifts Pyramids to 13 points at the summit of Group A, confirming their place in the knockout rounds. Rivers United, managed by Finidi George, remain bottom with one point and had already been eliminated before kick-off.

Pyramids will end their group campaign at home against Power Dynamos with qualifications already secured. Rivers United, Nigeria’s only representative across the Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages this season, will look to salvage pride when they travel to face Moroccan champions RS Berkane, who still need a win to advance.

The early continental exit represents another setback for Nigerian club football, although the country maintains its 12th position in the CAF rankings, the final spot that guarantees four teams in the 2026-2027 CAF interclub competitions.