Rivers United fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against hosts San Pedro in the first leg of their CAF Champions League first preliminary round tie at the Laurent Pokou Stadium on Saturday.
Both teams created several chances during an evenly contested opening half but were unable to break the deadlock before the interval.
San Pedro eventually took the lead 11 minutes after the restart when Issouf Dosso capitalised on an opening in the Rivers United defence.
The Pride of Rivers responded strongly, with substitute Iyowuna Douglas restoring parity in the 69th minute.
Douglas kept his composure inside the box before calmly finishing to bring Finidi George’s men level.
Rivers United defended resolutely during the closing stages to preserve a valuable away draw.
The second leg will be played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, next Sunday, with the aggregate winners facing either Uganda’s Vipers or Mauritania’s Nouadhibou in the next round.
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing outing for reigning Nigerian champions Rangers International as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Benin Republic side AS Sobemap in the first leg of their continental encounter in Abeokuta.
The Flying Antelopes made a bright start and took the lead in the 23rd minute through Chidozie Iwundu.
The goal gave Rangers the initiative and put them in a strong position to secure a first-leg victory.
However, AS Sobemap responded after the break, finding an equaliser to bring the visitors back into the contest and ensure the spoils were shared.
Rangers pushed for a winning goal but struggled to find a way through the Beninese defence as the match ended all square.
The result leaves the tie finely poised ahead of the second leg at the Kegue Stadium in Lomé, where Rangers will need a strong performance to advance.
CAF Confederation Cup
El Kanemi Warriors secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau’s UD Internacional in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round tie at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
The reigning Nigeria Federation Cup champions started brightly, with both teams creating opportunities during an entertaining opening half.
However, neither side could find the breakthrough as the game remained goalless at the interval.
El-Kanemi eventually broke the deadlock six minutes before the hour mark when Nnamdi Mejuobi found the back of the net.
The forward doubled his side’s advantage just four minutes later, calmly converting a penalty to put the Desert Warriors firmly in control.
Dayo Wahab then completed the scoring two minutes from full-time to seal an emphatic victory.
The return leg will be played on September 11 at the 24 September Stadium, with UD Internacional needing a major comeback to advance.
Raja Casablanca await the aggregate winners in the second preliminary round.
Elsewhere, Shooting Stars marked their return to continental football with a 1-0 victory over Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup first-round tie.
The Oluyole Warriors secured the win at the MKO Abiola Arena in Abeokuta, with Emmanuel Lucky scoring the decisive goal.
Making their first continental appearance in 27 years, Salisu Yusuf’s side started brightly and created several chances, with Issa Yusuf and Taheer Abubakar going close before Lucky broke the deadlock midway through the first half.
Desmond Ojietefian’s clever nod-down set up Lucky, who reacted quickly to fire home.
CS Sfaxien improved after the break and applied sustained pressure, but goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal made crucial saves to preserve Shooting Stars’ lead.
The Nigerians held firm to secure a vital advantage ahead of next weekend’s return leg, billed for the Taieb Mhiri Stadium.
The aggregate winners will face either Ivory Coast’s AFAD Djekanou or Sierra Leonean side East End Lions in the next round.
