Rivers United snatch dramatic win and last-eight place

A last-minute Kazie Godswill goal gave Rivers United of Nigeria a dramatic 2-1 win over Dreams of Ghana on Sunday, and a place in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals.

Dreams (plus four) won Group C on goal difference from Rivers (plus two) after both west African clubs accumulated 12 points from six matches.

Club Africain of Tunisia spoilt their chances of securing a place in the knockout stage of the African equivalent of the Europa League when surprisingly held 1-1 by Academica Lobito of Angola.

The Tunisians finished the most hotly contested of the four mini-leagues with 10 points while Lobito managed just one.

Modern Future and Zamalek of Egypt, title-holders USM Alger of Algeria, Abu Salim of Libya, Renaissance Berkane of Morocco and Stade Malien of Mali are the other quarterfinalists.

Berkane twice, Zamalek, USM and Stade have won the Confederation Cup while Salim, Dreams and Future are first-time qualifiers for the knockout stage.

Hoping to become the first Nigerian winners of a CAF competition since Enyimba lifted the 2005 Super Cup, Rivers fell behind after 40 minutes in Uyo when Abdul Aziz Issah scored for Dreams.

Echeta Deputy levelled on the hour mark and the Ghanaians were reduced to 10 men after 81 minutes when Seth Agyemang was sent off after being yellow-carded a second time.

Full-back Godswill then temporarily abandoned his defensive duties to score the goal that booked Rivers a place in the last-eight draw on a date to be announced.

Apart from the two places up for grabs in Group C during the sixth and final matchday, there was also one on the line in Group A, between Future and Al Hilal Benghazi of Libya.

Future needed one point in Cairo to advance, but took all three thanks to a 5-0 victory, the widest winning margin in the group stage this season.

Ahmed Atef led the goal rush with two, Ali Zazaa and Mohamed Sadek notched one each, and Hilal goalkeeper Khleid al Msmari conceded an own goal.

Future finished runners-up behind USM, who edged SuperSport United of South Africa 2-1 in Algiers through a 76th-minute goal from Malian Abdoulaye Kanou.