Jan 31, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates gestures to players against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
As Missouri battles to make the NCAA Tournament’s field of 68, perhaps the most important number it needs to pay attention to is 332.
That is where the Tigers currently sit, out of 361 Division I teams, in free-throw shooting percentage as coach Dennis Gates’ team faces South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday.
Missouri (15-7, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) has made just 67.4% of its shots from the free-throw line, making the team dead last in the SEC. That includes an atrocious 34.8% (8-for-23) showing in a 90-64 setback at Alabama last month.
The Tigers rebounded in an 84-79 victory over Mississippi State last week, making 75.8% (25 for 33) of their free throws, including 10 of 12 in the final two minutes to hold off the Bulldogs.
It is not the sexiest statistic, but it could end up making the difference as Missouri tries to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
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“That’s good coaching. I was able to telepathically get into their brain right there on the line and start whispering, ‘Calm down, calm down.’ And you just saw a swish. So, the coaching. I’ll take that today,” Gates said.
Mark Mitchell led Missouri with 19 points and seven rebounds in the triumph over Mississippi State. T.O. Barrett added 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Trent Pierce, who made 19 starts last season but missed this year’s entire nonconference schedule, started for the first time in nine appearances this year and made two early 3-pointers on the way to 13 points.
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Mitchell leads the team with 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in 20 of 22 games. Jayden Stone is averaging 14.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.
The Tigers are just 1-3 on the road in the conference, but in South Carolina, they are facing a spiraling squad poised to miss the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in nine years. The Gamecocks have lost four straight and eight of 10.
South Carolina has dropped two straight and four of five at home and lost its last outing 84-75 at Texas on Tuesday despite jumping out to an early lead.
“We did a lot of right things that allowed us to be in a position to win the game. … Our first responsibility was to do enough right things that when it got to game-winning time, you were right there to win the game,” Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris said. “It stings to be in that position and then in the last 2 1/2, 3 minutes, not be in a position to win the game.”
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Meechie Johnson scored a career-best 35 points while shooting 12 of 21 from the field and 10 of 14 from the free-throw line. Elijah Strong added 12 points.
Johnson leads the team with a career-best 16.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals. He is averaging 22.6 points over his last seven games.
“Meechie has had a good year. He’s been getting better at his one-on-one attacking,” Paris said. “So he’s been doing that a lot more, I’d say, in the last few games, especially getting to the rim and finishing strong. That’s been a point of emphasis for him to try to improve.”
Should the Players Championship become golf’s fifth major?
That’s the question the PGA Tour not-so-subtly wants you asking.
The Tour released a provocative new Players promo video on Thursday afternoon during late-window coverage of the WM Phoenix Open that felt like an exercise in subliminal messaging.
Seems like the PGA Tour wants the “5th major” debate back on.
The Players Championship just dropped this new ad. Should get you fired up for TPC Sawgrass — but it’s the half-second at the end that’s going to raise eyebrows:
The opening shot — an upside-down reflection of J.J. Spaun — serves as a callback to last year’s dramatic, splashy Players finish, where Spaun made an inspired charge before his hopes ended in arguably golf’s most famous lake.
Next there’s Sepp Straka gazing at TPC Sawgrass’ iconic island-green 17th. (Why Straka? I’m not exactly sure, but my best guess is his was the steeliest stare the Tour had on file.)
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Then recent big-name Players champs tick past, Scottie Scheffler (who won in 2023 and 2024) and then Rory McIlroy (2019 and 2025) and then Justin Thomas (2021), the three most recent in-good-standing tournament winners who are also three of golf’s most popular stars (you won’t be shocked to hear that 2022 champ Cameron Smith, now of LIV Golf, does not make an appearance).
The shots are desaturated, overcast, moody, dramatic. A voice drifts over the scenes.
I can’t get you out of my head
Suddenly you’re underwater, then halfway out, then rising into the sky. The island green appears before you, and the stadium around it. There are a lot of people there.
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There’s Corey Conners. There’s a ball in the water. There’s Tony Finau. Another splash. There’s a player in anguish, and then another. There’s Collin Morikawa, so agonized he’s taken off his hat. Another splash. A hole-in-one from Shane Lowry. (Remember that?) A grin from Brooks Koepka. (Remember him?) A leap from Ryan Moore. (His days as one of the faces of the Tour may be numbered.) Then, boom. Uppercut fist-pump from Tiger Woods, punctuating the iconic “Better-than-most” moment.
And then comes the tagline.
MARCH IS GOING TO BE MAJOR
It’s barely on screen; blink and you could just about miss it. But the message seems pretty clear.
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The Players being described as “major” is, at the very least, a strong suggestion. Greenlighting this particular tagline does not happen by accident — especially not for a PGA Tour under new CEO Brian Rolapp, who has started his first full season on offense. In recent weeks, the Tour has recruited multiple players back from LIV and pushed forward plans to reimagine the schedule under the guidance of visionaries like Tiger Woods and Theo Epstein. The latest development is only a piece of marketing material, but it suggests something bigger: Rolapp is ratcheting up the size of the Tour’s visionboard, and in the process, testing the limits of his newfound momentum.
The Players-as-fifth-major discussion is not new. It certainly predates my arrival in the world of golf media. Based on conversations with smart people, the Tour has vacillated on the seriousness of the “major” moniker many times over the years.
Still, it’s easy to see why the Tour would want the Players to become a major. By most objective measures, the PGA Tour is the strongest and wealthiest Tour in the world — but if we’re judging by ownership of golf’s most important events (the majors), it comes up empty. The PGA Tour does not own the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, the Open Championship or even the Ryder Cup. I doubt Rolapp is particularly pleased about that structure. I doubt the Tour’s private-equity partners are, either. They would like to own all four majors. At the very least, they’d like to own one.
And so here we are, with the Tour using its marketing material to test the waters of the major championship discussion again. Is this a trial balloon — or the beginning of an organized campaign? It appears we’re about to find out.
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Update: I emailed the Tour asking for comment on the new ad. Just as we were publishing this story, they sent over the following statement. The second sentence seems…suggestive:
“Fans and players have long discussed THE PLAYERS Championship’s status as a major. We understand that is not for us to decide. Ultimately it is up to our sport and its fans to recognize what the professionals who play the game already know.”
In the meantime, it’s worth running through five questions on what a theoretical Players-as-fifth-major would mean.
1. Who decides the majors, anyway?
Oh boy, good question. The short version: Some golfers and some writers. It was murky for a while, but it’s been a mostly settled discussion for decades.
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There was a time, pre-Masters, in which the U.S. and British Amateurs were considered majors. In 1930, just four years before Augusta National’s first invitational tournament, Bobby Jones won those two plus the U.S. Open and Open Championship and was considered a grand-slam winner.
The modern Grand Slam, per our in-house expert Michael Bamberger, had its roots in the 1930s but didn’t become a “thing” until 1960, when Arnold Palmer and his preferred sportswriter, Bob Drum, decided on the four events during a flight to St. Andrews … or so the story goes. There were other top players involved in choosing the majors, and other top sportswriters, too (I type, wistfully, imagining this power), but the power to make such pronouncements was derived primarily from the rise of golf on TV, which elevated stars like Palmer and Jack Nicklaus into authority figures. Of course, that leaves a deep irony in the formation of the modern slam: The majors are each 90-plus years old, but the Grand Slam may not yet be 70.
There was still some murkiness around the Grand Slam the ’60s and ’70s, when it was unclear whether Nicklaus should count his 1959 and 1961 U.S. Amateur titles as majors. But eventually a common vernacular emerged around the four big events: the Masters, the PGA, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship. Horse racing has its Triple Crown, and golf has its Grand Slam, an epic foursome of tournaments stretching from the beginning of spring through the end of summer.
The majors are “official” in certain ways; they’re referenced in handbooks, Hall-of-Fame criteria, media guides, Wikipedia pages and the like. But there’s also no organization or individual in charge of amending their definition. It’s a funny thing to think about. They’re the majors because we all agree that they are.
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If the Players isn’t a major, what is it?
The Players isn’t a major and hasn’t been a major — but it is the next best thing: the second line in the counting stats of PGA Tour players. Justin Thomas has two majors plus a Players. Rory McIlroy has five majors plus two Players. Yes, this is a bit bulky. Rolapp’s quest is for “simplicity,” and this could be simplified. But it’s also the way things are; the Players is the PGA Tour’s biggest event … but it’s not a major.
It is worth emphasizing just how good the Players has become. It’s not just No. 17; TPC Sawgrass is a terrific tournament venue. I’ve written that it’s the Florida Masters; we return every year to a familiar, iconic venue with famous hazards, big-time champions, and highlight-reel moments. Sub out Rae’s Creek for the island green, and sub out Augusta’s historic manor clubhouse for the towering Ponte Vedra palace, you get the idea. The crowds are terrific, it’s the event in town, the broadcast feels big and it seems to get bigger every year.
What’s the case for the Players as a major?
I guess I sort of just made that case. Iconic venue, memorable moments, 50-plus years of history, big-time winners, a massive purse, elevated TV coverage, enormous crowds. It’s objectively one of the best tournaments on the golf calendar.
About the biggest thing working against the Players as a major is its field. The majors have gained strength in the 2020s because they’ve served as the only mutual meeting ground for stars from the PGA Tour and LIV. In some ways, it could be argued that what makes a major in 2026 is that all the best players are in attendance. Currently, the Tour only welcomes Tour players to compete in the Players.
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But there’s an intriguing potential subplot here. This is pure speculation, but if the Players wanted to achieve major status, could it create an eligibility category for top LIV players and serve as a crossover event transcending tour rivalry? I dunno. But it does seem like you’d need to open up the field in some way to seriously enter the conversation.
What’s the case against the Players as a major?
There was a quote, some years ago, from John Feinstein on Golf Channel: “When you go to Denny’s and order the Grand Slam, they don’t give you five things, do they?”
You get the idea. A grand slam means four wins in tennis, a grand slam means four runs in baseball, a Grand Slam means four things at Denny’s. In golf, the Grand Slam means four events.
The LPGA added a fifth major last decade. I’d argue that has only served to muddy the waters as to the important tournaments on their schedule. Five majors is one too many.
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Here’s where I’ve landed: I’m fine with the Players being a major in the abstract — but I’m not okay with five majors. Whether via a duel or a hostile takeover, the Players has to demote another major to elevate itself.
What would happen if it became a major?
We’d need to do some serious arithmetic, for one thing. Nicklaus won three Players, so he’d suddenly have 21 majors. Woods won two of ’em, so he’d be up to 17 total majors but even further behind Jack.
Fred Couples would jump from one major to three, as would Steve Elkington, as would Hal Sutton, as would Davis Love III. I’m guessing we’d have their votes.
Perhaps the biggest change would be among those whose current major total is zero. Matt Kuchar would suddenly be a major champ. So would Rickie Fowler. And Si Woo Kim. And K.J. Choi.
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Scottie Scheffler would suddenly have six majors. Rory McIlroy would suddenly have seven. On the other hand, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen would see their major totals hold, as neither player overlapped with the Players. Cross-generational scorekeeping is tough. Apples and featheries.
I imagine we’ll hear more from the Tour in the coming weeks. I imagine we’ll hear from Rolapp himself at the Players itself. I’m curious what he’ll have to say — and whether the M-word is part of it.
Protests take to the streets to show their displeasure at the presence of ICE in MilanImage: Alkis Konstantinidis/REUTERS
Before the show tonight, there were protests on the streets of Milan as hundreds of people, mostly students according to reports, voiced their unhappiness at the presence of American ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in Italy.
Our correspondent Elisabetta Galla was at the protests today and passed on the following information:
Many were protesting about the social issues in Milan, such as rising rent costs and how spending money on an Olympic Games was not the right choice right now. Others were upset about the environmental impact of all the new construction that has gone on, particularly in Cortina. There were also protesters about Isreal being at the Games and not being banned like Russia. Around 10,000 protesters from all across Italy are expected in Milan tomorrow, but tonight, in front of the stadium, Galla reports a totally different atmosphere with many happy people from Milan who are proud of hosting the Olympics.
The US ambassador to Italy, Tilman J. Fertitta, recently said that the ICE officers would be deployed “only in an advisory and intelligence capacity, without patrolling or enforcement measures.”
This is likely in reference to the Homeland Security Investigations unit, which is a unit within ICE that focuses on cross-border crimes. It frequently sends officers to events like the Olympics to help with security, and they are completely seperate from those currently at the forefront of the immigration crackdown in the US. However, as the protests show, any ICE presence in the country has increased the tension.
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US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will be at the opening ceremony tonight, and Vance met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier on Friday. Meloni said sport and religion were “values that keep together Italy and the US, Europe and the US, Western civilisation.”
The former Leicester assistant coach confirmed the news to TNT Sports before his side’s Prem Rugby Cup clash against the Tigers at Welford Road.
“I am not there next season, but I wish the club well with whoever comes in and I sincerely mean that,” he said.
“I want to be professional. There is a job to finish here.
“It was an honour to be asked to be the interim head coach of Newcastle Red Bulls. I have enjoyed the people, I have enjoyed the place and I wish them well in the future.
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“In terms of the players, I want the best for those who are staying and moving on. I want them to find jobs in the country or wherever so they can continue their professional careers.”
He would not, however, be drawn on rumours of his successor.
“That is news to me [about Gregor Townsend]. I am sure he covered that off in his press conference this week,” said Dickens.
“The job he has is a consultant to Red Bull, and that is what he does.”
Maher and David Eustace had previously succeeded here with Explosive Jack, the multiple Group 1 star, in 2021.
Nikki White, speaking for the stable, highlighted how the gelding keeps improving.
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“He’s sort of been a bit of a dark horse,” she said.
“We didn’t screw him down as much at home, but we just knew we had potential to obviously get out and trip and it’s paid off.
“When I sort of saw him back three-wide, I thought, ‘you know, you’ve got to ride this horse ugly to be able to produce him’, and it worked out.”
White responded to questions on future Derby targets by saying: “We possibly will. We’ll see how he comes back through this and we’ll make a plan after that.”
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Eoin Walsh overcame the gelding’s wide gate to settle the $3.30 top pick midfield and one off the fence with a full lap left on Hobart’s layout.
During the middle of the race, the Irishman went three-wide, ramping up speed and threatening large on the corner into the straight.
In the run home, the gelding asserted dominance, taking charge and extending the margin to three quarters of a length.
“I was pretty confident going into the first bend, I thought ‘geez, we’re going to go a good one as long as they don’t steady them up,’ he said.
“But no, a lovely genuine tempo and my lad was the best stayer in the race today.
“I was just following him on one I got stuck behind last day as well, and that’s why I popped out three wide, just to get my lad going, because I could see my native friend John Allen (Colizzi) was travelling well down the inside.
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“I just wanted to get him in a pocket, but my horse is still just racing a little lazy still.”
Dad And Dave defeated Colizzi ($8) trained by David and Coral Feek, followed half a length adrift by Helioson ($12) for Patrick and Michelle Payne. Bettors looking for value should visit the best racing betting markets for the Tasmanian Derby.
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn discusses her plan to compete in the Winter Olympics despite rupturing her ACL. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rick Lehman assesses her chances and the risks involved, noting her mental toughness.
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Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were spotted at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, at San Siro on Friday night.
The Milan Cortina Olympics were officially opening with a ceremony celebrating the history and culture of the country. The vice president and Usha Vance were seated near Italian President Sergio Mattarella and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry were introduced in the stadium. Former IOC president Thomas Bach was also seated near them.
JD Vance and his wife Usha applaud at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The NBC broadcast briefly showed the Vances clapping for Mattarella and Coventry.
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Vance was among those leading the American contingent to the Olympic Games in Italy this year. He was spotted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. women’s ice hockey game against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Americans won the game, 5-1.
It was a part of a busy trip for Vance.
Vice President JD Vance, center, attends the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Andreas Rentz/Pool Photo via AP)
On Friday, he started his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with Rubio and his family. He then headed to the Prefettura di Milano for a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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“In the spirit of the Olympics friendship, competition — competition based on rules — and just coming together around shared values, we’re very, very thrilled to be here, and we’ll have a great conversation about number of topics,” Vance told Meloni as the press corps looked on.
Vice President JD Vance, center, and his wife Usha Vance attend the figure skating ice dance team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Georgetown Hoyas guard Jeremiah Williams (25) smiles Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, during a basketball game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Georgetown Hoyas defeated the Butler Bulldogs, 77-64.
Once one of the premier powerhouses of the Big East Conference, Georgetown has not won five straight league games since 2013.
Saturday in Washington, D.C., the Hoyas (13-10, 5-7) have a chance to accomplish the feat, but it won’t be easy as they face Villanova (17-5, 8-3).
The sudden turnaround of Georgetown came after it lost six straight, with the final defeat of that skid coming at Villanova 66-51 as the Hoyas committed 17 turnovers and made just 34.0% of their shots from the field.
The Hoyas have shown vast improvement over the past two weeks, topping two of the teams that beat them last month. Now they have a chance to avenge another defeat.
The most recent win came at home Tuesday over Creighton 76-68 as KJ Lewis and Malik Mack scored 22 and 20 points respectively and combined for 13 rebounds and seven steals.
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“It’s not where we started, it’s where we’re going and what we’re trying to do,” Georgetown coach Ed Cooley told his team afterward in a video-taped session in the locker room. “Take care of one another. Little by little, we’re making steps.”
Vince Iwuchukwu, Georgetown’s 7-foot-1 center who missed 10 games earlier this year when he underwent a medical procedure, has scored in double figures in each game of the Hoyas’ streak, including a 14-point, 10-rebound performance against Creighton.
While Georgetown needs to keep winning to enter the NCAA Tournament discussion, Villanova has strong credentials at No. 32 in the NET Rankings.
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Not that coach Kevin Willard is satisfied.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Willard said Tuesday after completing a regular-season sweep of his former team, Seton Hall, with a 72-60 win.
“You should be looking at your team right now in February and saying, ‘What do I need to improve? What do I need to fix?’ Willard added. “I’m not satisfied with anything.”
The balanced Wildcats have six players averaging between 9.5 and 13.6 points per game and are the best 3-point shooting team in the Big East at 36.5%.
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The top threats are backcourt mates Bryce Lindsay (13.6 points), who has 58 triples, and Tyler Perkins (13 points), who has made 39 3-pointers.
Raducanu suffered a listless second-round exit at January’s Australian Open and subsequently split with coach Francisco Roig.
However, she has shown real grit throughout her run in Romania to reach the final.
“I’m so proud of how I competed, how I came back in the third set and how I managed the match,” Raducanu said.
“I don’t think I could have done it without everyone’s support here so thank you so much.”
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Raducanu’s father, Ion, is from Bucharest and an exhausted but thrilled Raducanu briefly addressed the crowd in Romanian after her victory.
Only home hope Sorana Cirstea now stands between Raducanu and her first piece of silverware in five years.
Raducanu failed to serve out the opening set at the first time of asking, allowing Oliynykova to break back before winning the next two games – wrapping it up after a gruelling hour and 15 minutes.
But the top seed’s momentum faltered further in the second set and she was broken three times as Oliynykova forced a decider, where Raducanu was forced to fight back from a break down.
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And after missing her first two match points at 5-3, the Briton saved two break-back points and served out the win at the third time of asking.
The victory snapped a six-match losing streak in deciding sets for Raducanu, while it was her first three-set win since she beat Ann Li in the first round of Eastbourne in June.
A lot of his success came working with heavyweights, having helped Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko have long reigns as world heavyweight champions, while he also coached iconic names such as Oscar De La Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez and Evander Holyfield.
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Before sadly passing away in 2012, Steward told East End Boxing who he viewed as the number one boxer he trained, and it may come as no surprise to learn that it was Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns.
“Not only was Tommy the best fighter I ever worked with, he was also the most exciting. For me, climbing in the ring whenever Tommy fought, it was just so exciting. Tommy was very special.
“He was probably the closest reflection to my own style of fighting. With Tommy, he had so many outstanding qualities it’s hard to list just one – but he was so dedicated.
“Tommy worked so hard in the gym. If I told him, ‘Tommy, today you spar 20 rounds.’ He’d say ‘Okay.’ That’s just the way he was – dedicated.”
Hearns enjoyed immense success during his career, becoming the first boxer in history to win world titles in five divisions after triumphing from welterweight up to light heavyweight.
One Manchester United player has been told why his move to Old Trafford was a ‘mistake’, as transfer speculation continues to surround him even after the January transfer window shut
Joshua Zirkzee has been told why leaving Manchester United may be the best move for his career.
Zirkzee’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since the start of the season, but the striker has remained at Old Trafford despite two transfer windows passing by.
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United signed Zirkzee from Bologna in the summer of 2024 and was one of the final signings of Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford.
The Netherlands international has scored two goals across 16 appearances across all competitions for United this season, and has just nine goals to his name since moving to Manchester 18 months ago.
Zirkzee found regular appearances difficult to come by during Ruben Amorim’s tenure as United head coach, and has yet to feature in any of the three matches since Michael Carrick was appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season.
United were without Zirkzee due to injury for the wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, but the striker did make a return for the victory over Fulham, where he was an unused substitute.
Even though Zirkzee did not feature in United’s dramatic 3-2 win over Fulham last weekend, the striker was the first player to congratulate winning goalscorer Benjamin Sesko after the final whistle, as his instant reaction showed his true character in how he was delighted for his team-mate.
Zirkzee’s last goal for United came in a draw over Wolves at the end of December, and the last few months have seen persistent links claiming that the 24-year-old could be heading for the exit door in the near future.
Amid the speculation, former Chelsea and AC Milan star Ruud Gullit has urged Zirkzee to consider a United exit and return to Italy.
“Joshua Zirkzee made a mistake moving to Manchester United – he should have stayed in Italy,” Gullit told Gambling Insider.
“When he left Bologna, he should have gone to Juventus or AC Milan and stayed in Serie A. He arrived at United when there was a lot of bad energy around the club. It was the wrong time for him.
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“There have been rumours that he could now leave United and go to Roma in the summer. I hope he makes that move, or at least join another club in Italy, because it is a much more suitable league for him.”
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Egyptian giants Pyramids FC are expected to arrive in Uyo on Friday night ahead of their CAF Champions League Group A match against Rivers United. The encounter is scheduled for Sunday, February 8, 2026, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Pyramids travel to Nigeria in strong form as they continue their push for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition. The Egyptian side currently tops Group A with 10 points from four matches and needs only one point from their remaining two games to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
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The team moved closer to qualification after recording a convincing 3-0 victory over Morocco’s RS Berkane at the Air Defence Stadium. Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiz, popularly known as Zalaka, opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a header from Nasser Maher’s cross.
Despite attempts by Berkane to respond, Pyramids maintained defensive discipline and extended their lead in the 74th minute when Maher scored his first goal for the club since joining from Zamalek during the January transfer window. Ahmed Atef later sealed the victory with a third goal six minutes later.
In the group standings, Morocco’s RS Berkane occupies second place with seven points, while Zambia’s Power Dynamos sit third with four points following their 1-0 away win over Rivers United. The Nigerian side is currently bottom of the group with one point after four matches.
However, Pyramids head into the Uyo clash after suffering a setback in their domestic league, losing to Smouha in a midweek Egyptian Premier League fixture. Former Akwa United winger Samuel Amadi was among the scorers in that match.
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For Rivers United, Sunday’s fixture presents an opportunity to restore pride and improve their standing after a difficult campaign in the group stage.
