NPFL: Rivers United will bounce back, says Finidi

By : Christian Okpara

Date: 5 December 2025 4:51am WAT

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Rivers United Manager, Finidi George,

Rivers United Manager, Finidi George,

Rivers United Manager, Finidi George, has promised fans of the team that the CAF Champions League campaigners will get back to their groove after their recent poor performance on the continent.

Rivers United lost their opening group game in the CAF Champions League to Pyramids of Egypt in Cairo, last week, and were defeated 2-1 at home by Morocco’s RS Berkane in their second game at the weekend.

On Wednesday, the Port Harcourt-based side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of Kano Pillars in an outstanding Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) prompting their fans to question the team’s readiness for the challenges of the season.

Aware of the fans’ expectations, Finidi has pleaded for time to get the team back to winning ways, saying that they are suffering from the psychological effects of their home loss to Berkane.

After the game against Kano Pillars, Finidi promised to get his wards to start firing again before this weekend’s NPFL game against Abia Warriors.

He said: “It’s a difficult game and we knew from the onset. Coming from that defeat to RS Berkane in Uyo, I think it affected the players psychologically.

“It’s always difficult when you lose like that and then return home to play a league game. Psyching up the players was not easy at all. You could see in the first half that they were a little bit sloppy.”

“But in the second half, they pushed, and luckily for us, we got the goal. We’re quite happy with the three points.”

Rivers United are up against sixth-placed Abia Warriors in a matchday 16 clash on Sunday in Umuahia.

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