Finidi happy with Rivers United’s form

Rivers United technical manager Finidi George has expressed satisfaction with his side’s performances this season, despite concerns over the growing physical demands on his defence, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Pride of Rivers remained unbeaten in the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League season after holding Abia Warriors to a goalless draw in their Matchday Eight encounter at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba on Sunday.

The result left Rivers United second in the standings with 16 points, one behind leaders Rangers.

“I think we’ve really worked hard this season. We haven’t lost a match, despite the fact that we’ve been knocked out of the (2026/2027) CAF Champions League,” Finidi said at the post-match press conference.

The former Super Eagles winger praised his defence but admitted that the demands of a congested fixture schedule could force him to rotate his players to maintain the team’s performance level.

“Yeah, I think the defence is doing well, but we still have to monitor the defenders properly because the accumulation of matches is beginning to take its toll. We’ll see if others can come in and perform at the same level,” he said.

• Sporting’s Umoh opens up on wearing late father’s name
• Oga Boys return to winning ways in Lagos
• 3SC fans demand Aweroro’s return

Finidi also stressed the importance of collecting points throughout the campaign, recalling how Rivers United missed out on the league title by a single point last season.

“If I’m happy with the draw? Sometimes, at the end of the season, all these points will count for a lot, you know. Last season, we lost the league title by just one point. So, let’s see if this time around, we can maintain this form for a little longer,” he said.

Reflecting on the encounter, Finidi described his side’s second-half performance as inconsistent but praised their ability to compete against a difficult opponent.

“The second half was off and on for us. But coming here to get a point on the road against a difficult side — a lot of teams might have lost here by a big goal margin — and for us to come here and even control the game, trying to see how we could score a goal, which didn’t happen, says something,” he said.

“But these are things that happen in football. All the same, we’re quite happy with the point, and we’ll build on it,” Finidi concluded.