OYO, Nigeria — Title holders Pyramids FC confirmed their position at the summit of Group A with a dominant second-half performance that powered them to a 4–1 victory over Nigeria’s Rivers United in the fifth round of the CAF Champions League group stage at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Oyo, Nigeria.
The emphatic win guarantees that the Sky Blues will finish the group stage as leaders, regardless of next round results.
Pyramids top the group with 13 points, six clear of Morocco’s RS Berkane. They will host Power Dynamos, who sit on seven points, in their final group match in Cairo next Sunday, with qualification already secured.
The Egyptian side overturned a first-half deficit at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo to clinch qualification for the quarter-finals with a match to spare, extending their impressive continental campaign.
Rivers United stunned the visitors midway through the first half when Stephen Manu unleashed a fierce long-range strike that flew past the goalkeeper to give the hosts the lead in the 33rd minute.
The goal briefly lifted home hopes, but it proved to be their final moment of resistance.
Pyramids emerged with renewed intensity after the interval and quickly wrestled control of the contest.
Their pressure was rewarded in the 53rd minute when Mostafa Fathi latched onto a precise pass from Mostafa Zico and drove a composed finish beyond the goalkeeper to restore parity.
The equaliser shifted momentum decisively. Rivers United retreated deeper as Pyramids dictated the tempo and forced a series of defensive errors.
The turning point arrived in the 77th minute when a handball inside the penalty area handed Pyramids a chance to take the lead.
Marwan Hamdi stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
As Rivers United chased an unlikely response, gaps began to appear. Substitute Awda Al-Fakhoury marked his first goal for the club with a clinical strike in the 88th minute, before Nasser Maher added a fourth in stoppage time to complete a ruthless 14-minute surge.
The result lifts Pyramids to 13 points at the summit of Group A, confirming their passage to the knockout stages. Rivers United, meanwhile, remain bottom with just one point and are now mathematically eliminated.
Pyramids will conclude the group phase at home against Power Dynamos, knowing their quarter-final place is already secured.
Stade Malien 1-0 Esperance
Stade Malien secured their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in a tense Group D encounter.
The decisive moment came shortly after the break, as Stade Malien capitalised on a disciplined display to strengthen their grip on top spot and confirm progression with a match to spare.
Played with high stakes and little margin for error, the Matchday 5 clash unfolded cautiously in the opening period, with both sides prioritising defensive structure over attacking risk.
Esperance, knowing a positive result would significantly boost their qualification hopes, controlled possession for long spells but struggled to break down an organised Malian back line.
Stade Malien, meanwhile, were content to absorb pressure and threaten selectively on the counter, relying on compact midfield play and sharp positional discipline to frustrate the Tunisians.
The breakthrough arrived in the 54th minute. A well-worked attacking move caught Esperance momentarily out of shape, allowing Koro Kouyali to strike decisively and send the travelling Malian supporters into celebration. The goal proved enough to tilt the balance of the contest.
Esperance responded by pushing numbers forward in search of an equaliser, increasing the tempo and committing players into advanced areas.
However, their efforts were repeatedly repelled by Stade Malien’s resilient defence, which dealt confidently with crosses and limited clear-cut chances in the closing stages.
As the match wore on, urgency grew but composure faded, with Esperance unable to find the cutting edge required to rescue a point.
The final whistle confirmed a significant victory for Stade Malien, who move to the top of Group D and officially secure qualification for the knockout phase.
Esperance remain second on six points, with one win, three draws and a defeat, and will now need a positive result in the final round to guarantee their place in the quarter-finals.
Lupopo 1-1 Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns’ hopes of securing early qualification from Group C of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League were dealt another blow after they were held to a 1–1 draw by DR Congo side Saint Éloi Lupopo.
The South African champions dropped points for a second successive match, leaving the group finely balanced with one round remaining as the pressure intensifies in the race for the quarter-finals.
Sundowns, restored to near full strength with the return of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena and Thapelo Morena, made a positive start. They nearly took the lead inside the opening minute when Khulumani Ndamane rose highest from a corner, but his header drifted narrowly wide.
That early miss proved costly. Lupopo capitalised in the 10th minute when they beat the offside trap, allowing Enock Moila to arrive unmarked at the far post and finish from close range to give the hosts the lead.
The goal stunned Sundowns, who enjoyed more possession but struggled to break down a disciplined Lupopo defence. Arthur Sales came closest before the break with a looping header from Aubrey Modiba’s corner, but his effort failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Sundowns increased the pressure after the interval and were rewarded in the 54th minute. From another corner, Jayden Adams rose well to power a header into the top corner, restoring parity and shifting momentum.
The visitors continued to press for a winner, with Adams again going close and Mokoena striking the post from distance late on. Lupopo also threatened sporadically, but neither side could find a decisive breakthrough.
The draw leaves Sundowns with work to do heading into the final group match, while Lupopo’s resilience keeps them firmly in the qualification conversation.
