Nigeria will have two teams in the Champions League and two in the Confederation Cup for the 2026-27 season after strong continental showings by Rivers United helped the country remain in CAF’s top 12 ranked associations.
The Confederation of African Football allocates four interclub places two in the CAF Champions League and two in the CAF Confederation Cup to its highest-ranked nations based on a five-year coefficient system.
Nigeria are among the 12 countries to benefit from the expanded slots, alongside Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Angola, DR Congo, Sudan, Mali and Ivory Coast.
Mali move into the top 12 at the expense of Libya, who drop out of the rankings.
Rivers United played a decisive role in safeguarding Nigeria’s quota after reaching the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Their progression marked the first time in almost seven years that a Nigerian side advanced to that stage of the competition, earning valuable coefficient points for the country.
In contrast, Nigeria’s other representatives in the 2025-26 season endured early exits. NPFL champions Remo Stars were humbled by Mamelodi Sundowns in the second round of the Champions League.
Meanwhile Abia Warriors and Kwara United were all eliminated in the first preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.
In recent years Rivers United have emerged as Nigeria’s most reliable performers in CAF competitions, stepping into a role once dominated by Enyimba International.
READ MORE:nigeria-dr-congo-row-nff-dismisses-reports-of-fifa-decision
Enyimba remain the only Nigerian club to have won the Champions League, lifting the trophy twice in the early 2000s.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
The pride of Rivers completed their CAF Champions League campaign with just one point. They were battered by Pyramids and RS Berkane, and narrowly edged out by Power Dynamos. Remarkably, they failed to win or earn a point at home, picking up their only point away in Ndola against Dynamos in Group C.
