The Zambian contingent landed on Wednesday night and were welcomed at Victor Attah International Airport by officials from Rivers United and the Akwa Ibom State Football Association.
Following their arrival, the team headed to their designated hotel in the city to prepare for the weekend fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Boss Oswald Mutapa’s squad will conduct their first training session at the stadium’s practice pitch later tonight as final preparations continue.
Power Dynamos enter the Uyo match on the back of a 0–0 draw with Rivers United in the first meeting in Zambia last weekend. Currently bottom of Group A with just one point from three games, the Zambian side will be eager to secure their first win of the campaign.
Editorial
In the wider theatre of African football, some fixtures arrive swathed in expectation others, cloaked in quiet necessity. Power Dynamos’ arrival in Uyo is unmistakably of the latter sort, but make no mistake, necessity, in its own way, sharpens the drama.
The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium a cauldron of West African passion has seen its fair share of continental aspirations and anxieties. Here, Rivers United, imbued with the pride of Nigeria’s oil-rich delta, have sought to translate domestic dominance into continental relevance. Yet the cold arithmetic of Group A standings lays bare the challenge for both sides, victory has thus far been elusive.
Power Dynamos, bottom of the section and still hunting their first goal, arrive with a blend of belief and burden. Their stalemate in Ndola last weekend was more than a result it was a philosophical statement that grind, resolve and defensive discipline can still yield opportunity on African soil.
Yet for Rivers United, the return to Uyo is also a reckoning. This is a club that has expanded its ambitions rapidly in recent seasons, emerging from domestic competition to stake claims on the continental stage. But chatter and credentials must bow to pragmatism in elite company, hope without points is a fragile currency.
This isn’t merely a match it is an inflection point. For the hosts, progression inches away with each passing draw for the visitors, belief must be distilled into execution. In the crucible of this CAF Champions League, identity is forged not through intent alone, but in those moments when hesitation yields to decisive action. Uyo beckons, and African club football will be the richer for it.
Did You Know?
- Power Dynamos qualified for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League group stage after a 1–1 aggregate draw with Vipers SC and progressed on away goals in qualifying.
- Rivers United secured their first ever Nigeria Premier League title in 2022, which helped solidify their rise into continental competitions.
- The Zambian side kept a clean sheet in their goalless draw with Rivers United in Ndola, despite dominating large phases of that match.
- The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo has hosted multiple CAF interclub matches and is one of Nigeria’s primary venues for continental football.
- In Group A, both RS Berkane and Pyramids FC were leading the standings with seven points apiece ahead of Matchday 4, creating a competitive landscape for qualification.
