Rivers United have it all to do in the return leg after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mozambique’s Black Bulls in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round clash on Saturday.

The encounter in Maputo was tightly contested, with both sides missing good chances in the first half. The hosts eventually broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart through Moctar Diallo, whose goal proved to be the difference.

The defeat means Rivers United must overturn the deficit when they host the reverse fixture next Sunday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. A win by a two-goal margin would see the Nigerian side progress to the lucrative group stage of Africa’s premier club competition.

Head coach Finidi George will be hoping his men can capitalize on home advantage to redeem themselves and keep their continental campaign alive.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s other Champions League representatives, Remo Stars, are set to face South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moshood Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Back on the domestic front, Wikki Tourists are grappling with a major injury crisis ahead of their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture against El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri.

The Bauchi-based side will be without five key players — Ahmed Lamido, Sadeeq Abdullahi, Nickson Ironsi, Muhammed Aliyu, and Uche Onwuansanya. Lamido and Onwuansanya are sidelined due to illness, while Abdullahi, Ironsi, and Aliyu are recovering from various injuries.

Coach Abdullah Maikaba faces a daunting task as his team remains winless in their last five matches. The Tourists will be hoping to end that poor run on Sunday, banking on their fit players to deliver a much-needed result despite the setbacks.