Rivers United’s 1–0 home defeat to Zambia’s Power Dynamos has indirectly strengthened Pyramids FC’s push for a place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, as the Egyptian champions tightened their grip on Group A on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, holders Pyramids delivered a commanding performance in Cairo, cruising to a 3–0 victory over Morocco’s RS Berkane at the Air Defence Stadium to move clear at the top of the group and edge closer to qualification.
READ ALSO: Chinedu Isaiah Impresses for Slavia Praha B in International Friendly Draw
Mahmoud Abdel Hafeez, popularly known as Zalaka, set the tone in the 10th minute with a powerful close-range header from a pinpoint delivery by Nasser Maher.
Pyramids remained in control throughout the contest and doubled their advantage in the 74th minute when Maher capped an influential display with a confident finish inside the box.
The hosts completed a dominant evening six minutes later as Ahmed Atef “Qatta” added the third goal, sealing a comprehensive win that underlined Pyramids’ growing authority in Africa’s premier club competition.
The result lifted Pyramids to 10 points from four matches, three clear of second-placed Berkane, leaving the Egyptian side firmly on course for a place in the last eight.
In the group’s other fixture, Power Dynamos claimed their first win of the group stage with a hard-fought 1–0 away victory over Rivers United in Port Harcourt, a result that further eased Pyramids’ route to qualification.
The decisive moment came five minutes after the restart when Kundwani Chiboni timed his run perfectly before calmly finishing from a Prince Mumba pass.
Rivers United enjoyed spells of possession but struggled to break down a disciplined Dynamos defence, despite pushing forward in search of an equaliser during an intense second half.
Power Dynamos’ victory moved the Zambian champions to four points, keeping them in contention for qualification, while Rivers United remain bottom of Group A with just one point from four matches, leaving their hopes of progression practically gone but hanging only on mathematical chance.
With two group matches remaining, Pyramids are now firmly in control of their destiny, and results elsewhere have further eased their path toward the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
Results on Sunday at a Glance
Pyramids FC 3–0 RS Berkane
Rivers United 0–1 Power Dynamos
MC Alger 2–0 St Éloi Lupopo
Simba SC 2–2 Espérance de Tunis
