Consistent right back Kazie Enyinnaya scored in the 99th minute to give Rivers United of Nigeria a priceless 2-1 win over Dreams FC of Ghana at the Nest of Champions, Uyo to book a place in the quarter finals of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
Two second half goals from Deputy Echeta and Kazie helped Rivers United to overturn a half-time deficit and although they were helped by the incredible result in Tunisia where Club Africain were held by group’s whipping boys Academica de Lobito of Angola, United still delivered qualification for themselves in the end.
United went into the game amidst several mathematical calculations on their possibility of progress but they made the worst possible start after the enterprising Abdul Aziz Issah gave the visitors the lead in the 40th minute after he outwitted Ekerette Udom in a 1v1 situation.
Down 0-1 at half time and with a mountain to climb, Rivers United acting head coach Evans Ogenyi introduced the duo of Samuel Mathias and Andy Okpe for Farouk Mohammed and Alex Oyowah respectively and it was Okpe that saw his flicked header headed home by Deputy Echeta for United’s equaliser in the 61st minute.
Rivers United thought they had scored again in the final quarter of the game but Dreams FC goalkeeper Gidios Aseako superbly kept out Okpe’s header to Kazie Enyinnaya’s cross.
The visitors were then reduced to ten men when Seth Agyemang was sent off by Algerian referee Youcef Gamouh for a second bookable offence with just ten minutes left on the clock. United continued to pour forward and having sensed his team’s upper hand in aerial battles, Ogenyi again introduced Yao Bernard in place of Nyima Nwagua to cause more chaos in the opponent’s penalty box.
When all hope seemed lost, Kazie, famed for being one of the most consistent players in the league in the past four years popped up for Rivers United after the expiration of eight minutes of additional time to fire home into the bottom right after a mini goal-mouth scramble.
The goal sent both players, fans and administrators inside the stadium to wild jubilations which was made even sweeter at full time when Dreams FC side learnt about the result in Tunisia.
The Ghanaians thus top Group C going into the quarter final stage while Rivers United will face a North African side in the quarter final. Draws will be conducted later this month while United will host the first leg in Uyo on March 31, 2024.
