Finidi Applauds Rivers United’s Resilience Following Third Road Triumph

 Finidi Applauds Rivers United’s Fighting Spirit After Gritty Win in Maiduguri

Rivers United head coach, Finidi George, has expressed his satisfaction after his team battled through intense conditions to secure a 2-1 victory over El-Kanemi Warriors in Sunday’s NPFL Matchday 29 fixture in Maiduguri.

Playing under the relentless afternoon heat, the Pride of Rivers showed defensive discipline to keep the game level at halftime. However, they wasted little time after the restart, as Taofeek Otaniyi found the net just two minutes into the second half. Samson Obi extended their lead in the 61st minute, giving Rivers United a firm grip on proceedings.

El-Kanemi Warriors made things tense with a stoppage-time goal from Muktar Ismail, but Rivers United held on to secure their third away win of the season, adding to their seven away draws. The victory keeps them second in the NPFL standings with 49 points, eight points adrift of leaders Remo Stars.

Reflecting on the result, Finidi, a former Ajax star and 1995 UEFA Champions League winner, admitted it was a challenging fixture but was proud of his team’s effort.

“It was a very difficult first half, playing at 3 pm in that heat,” Finidi said in his post-match interview. “But in the second half, as the temperature eased a little, we played our game and got two good goals.”

Despite the win, the Rivers United boss was frustrated by the late goal conceded.

“We had control at 2-0, and I felt we could have managed the game better. That late goal was disappointing, but overall, I’m happy with the win,” he added.

Finidi also shared the tactical adjustments he made at halftime.

“I told the players that as the intensity of the game dropped, we needed to take advantage—and they executed it well.”

With this crucial away win, Rivers United now shift focus to their next challenge—Tuesday’s President Federation Cup clash against FC Barawo in Abuja.