Nigerian Professional Football League side Rivers United were knocked out of the CAF Champions League on Saturday following their 4-3 loss on aggregate to Sudanese powerhouse Al-Merrikh.

Bakri Al Madina scored a hat-trick in the first half of the game to draw level, before a crucial goal from Alticket in the 72nd minute sealed the win for Al-Merrikh.

Egyptian and Sudanese football expert Lotfi Wada has revealed that as many as 50,000 spectators witnessed the meeting at the Al-Merreikh Stadium (Omdurman).

And he highlighted that Al-Merrikh generated US$300,000 (equivalent of N133.5 million using the unofficial rate) from gate receipts during the Champions League contest.

Rivers United have been compensated by CAF following the Champions League exit, and will now feature in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel