Pyramids FC of Egypt made a commanding start to their CAF Champions League campaign on Saturday, handing Rivers United a 3–0 defeat in their Group B opener at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

Ahmed Atef was the star of the night, hitting a clinical hat-trick,all in the second half, to sink Nigeria’s only surviving club on the continent. The midfielder struck twice in the opening minutes of the restart before completing his treble in the 72nd minute.

Making their debut in the group phase of Africa’s premier club competition, Rivers United fielded a familiar starting XI. Finidi George kept faith with defenders Isaac Annor, Taiwo Abdulrafiu, Stephen Manyo, and Ogechukwu Ogbu, while captain Osagie Onisodumeya started in goal. New signing Bello Babatunde paired Boluwaji Sholumade in midfield as the Pride of Rivers aimed to begin their campaign on a positive note.

For much of the first half, the plan worked. Rivers United remained compact, just as Finidi emphasized in his pre-match comments, restricting the defending champions to limited openings. Osagie made routine saves, and Stephen Manyo marshalled the defence effectively, keeping Pyramids’ talisman and African player of the year, Fiston Mayele, quiet.

But the tide turned dramatically after the break. A risky attempt by Manyo to dribble out of defence ended in a costly turnover. Osagie saved the initial effort, but Atef reactedquicklyt to tap in the opener in the 52nd minute. Five minutes later, slack marking allowed him to nod in a pinpoint cross from Hafez Karim, doubling the Egyptians’ advantage.

With Rivers struggling to recover, Pyramids put together a flowing team move that Atef finished expertly to complete his hat-trick and seal a comfortable win for the champions.

The Pride of Rivers will now shift focus to matchday two, where they host Moroccan giants RS Berkane in Uyo. A strong response will be needed if they hope to revive their continental ambitions.