Rivers, 3SC get $100k consolation from CAF

Shooting Stars and Rivers United will each receive $100,000 from the Confederation of African Football despite their early exits from the 2026/27 continental competitions, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

CAF announced the solidarity payment during the draws for the preliminary rounds in August, stating that clubs eliminated at that stage would receive $100,000 each as part of its continued investment in supporting participating teams and increasing engagement in its inter-club competitions.

“The winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League will receive $6m in prize money, while the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup champions will earn $4m,” CAF announced.

“Clubs eliminated in the preliminary rounds will each receive a solidarity payment of $100,000, part of CAF’s continued investment in supporting participating teams and increasing engagement in its Interclub competitions.”

In the CAF Champions League, Rivers United suffered a shocking elimination at the hands of San Pedro of Ivory Coast on Sunday.

The 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League runners-up were knocked out on the away-goals rule after the two legs ended 3-3 on aggregate.

Rivers United played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Ivory Coast last weekend but faced a difficult task in the return leg, falling two goals behind before staging a late comeback.

Shooting Stars were also unable to advance in the CAF Confederation Cup after surrendering their first-leg advantage against CS Sfaxien in Tunisia.

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Heading into the second leg with a 1-0 advantage from Abeokuta, Iyed Belwafi cancelled Shooting Stars’ lead with the opening goal in the 27th minute before Youssef Habchia struck in the 68th minute to put the Tunisian side ahead in the tie.

The Oluyole Warriors could not find the goal needed to rescue their campaign.

Meanwhile, Nigerian champions Rangers International will face CAF Confederation Cup winners USM Alger in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, with a place in the group stages at stake.

El-Kanemi Warriors, who survived a difficult second leg against UDIB in Guinea-Bissau despite losing 1-0 to advance 3-1 on aggregate in the CAF Confederation Cup, will also face Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in the second preliminary round.

Both remaining Nigerian clubs are also entitled to the $100,000 solidarity payment if they fail to advance to the lucrative group stages.

The first round of the preliminary rounds has been completed, with the second round scheduled for October. The group-stage matches will commence in November, while the finals of the 2026/27 season are scheduled to be played between May 9 and 31, 2027.

South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns are the defending champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, while USM Alger of Algeria lifted the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup last season.