Rivers United don carry their load go back to the top of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) table after dem wire Kun Khalifat 4-2 for one match wey hot well-well.
After dem don suffer for road with four straight away defeats—including that loss for Lafia—the Pride of Rivers come find their rhythm for house, na weytin hitvibz dey yan be dat.
Rivers United Fight Back for Six-Goal Thriller
Okon Aniekeme, Handsome Surveyor, and Iyowuna Douglas (wey score two) na dem help the team carry the three points.
This win don make the Port Harcourt boys get one point pass Enugu Rangers, wey go draw match against Shooting Stars.
The match start with ginger as Okon Aniekeme score him fourth goal of the season for 16 minutes.
But Kun Khalifat no gree; Abdulrafiu Omolabi equalise before Sunday Adehi score another one for 38 minutes to put the visitors ahead.
Just before half-time, Handsome Surveyor wey just enter the pitch come fire one better goal to level the matter.
For second half, Iyowuna Douglas come show dem pepper as he score two goals—including one “solo run” wey fine die—to finish the work.
As he dey talk about the chances wey dem miss for start, Coach Finidi George yan say:
“I feel say for the first few minutes, we get chances wey we for take lead. You know say once those kind chances come, you suppose score. No be me go enter field go score am.
We dey always talk about scoring, scoring, scoring. You must create chances first. But when you create am and you no use am, e dey hard.
Dem get one clear chance, the guy miss am, but dem come score the other one. We gats fight back.
I know say we sabi score for house, so I feel say we go fit equalise and even win. But truth be say, I no expect four goals.”
Finidi George Talk About Fatigue and the Title Race
Even though dem win, some people dey worry say the defense don dey shake.
The Pride of Rivers don collect 14 goals for their last 11 games, meanwhile for their first 21 matches, na only 11 goals dem gree enter.
Finidi say na the long waka and overload from continental matches dey cause am.
“Na football. Those four games really weigh the players down. You know the Nigerian way—travel from one place to another, play for conditions wey no easy at all.
The games wey we lose, apart from that 4-1 for Nasarawa United, others na 1-0 or 2-1. We dey fight back, but like I talk, the body don tire (fatigue).
I hope say as we dey play one match per week now, we go get time prepare and rest so the boys go fresh. Na why we dey concede more goals; the boys don over-stretch.”
The coach also complain say him strikers like Maclyn Biokpo no dey finish well, and na so e be for the whole league—to the point say na defenders be him top scorers.
“That one na big wahala. No be only for Rivers United, but the whole league. Top scorers get 10, 11 goals. That one poor well-well. For my team, na defenders dey score pass.
To say we still dey where we dey so, I no know weda na miracle, but our defense strong for first half of the season and na him dey help us now.
Hardly you go see top strikers for this league. The ones wey dey, you go create chances for dem, but dem go miss am. But as coaches, we go continue to ginger dem make dem finish the season well.”
The Battle for Warri
As dem dey look the NPFL title, Finidi focus now dey the trip to Delta State to jam Warri Wolves.
“Wetins we gats do na to find way win at least one away match. We go try our best make the boys perform against Warri Wolves.
Every team dey fight for something, even Warri Wolves. So e go be serious battle. If you no win your home match for that side, you dey big trouble. We go see how e go go.”
When dem ask am if pressure dey to carry the trophy, he talk say:
“If na pressure, I no get any pressure. We dey take am one-one. If not, I no go dey sleep sef. We all want win.
I don tell the players before the league start say we dey go for the title. We dey close, but e no go easy.
Rangers go play home next week and dem fit win. E go be ‘off and on’ until one person break away. We go fight reach the end.”
You like this gist abi?
Oya, we go like hear from you. Help us drop small comment for the box below!
Last Updated on March 31, 2026 4:03 pm by Hitvibz Media
Stay connected