Rivers United showed their class on Sunday afternoon by defeating Willbros FC 3-0 to claim the Rivers State FA Cup title.

Playing at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) giants used a late scoring burst to overcome a resilient academy side, Footballrover reports.

Rivers United Goal-Scoring Form Ahead of Abia Warriors

After a scoreless first half where Willbros matched United’s physicality, the Pride of Rivers still found their rhythm.

Chinedu Sunday opened the scoring in the 71st minute, followed by a calm finish from Wisdom Samuel. The in-form Handsome Surveyor added a third in stoppage time to seal the victory.

Head coach Finidi George was pleased with how his team adjusted during the final to secure the trophy.

Reflecting on the performance, Finidi noted the tactical shift that allowed his team to break the deadlock late in the game.

“We are quite happy with the victory. The FA Cup is always important in the States. You have to win it before you go to the national level. So we are quite happy. In the first half, we didn’t push that much.

But I think in the second half, we came all out. We pressed them high and forced them to make mistakes. At the end of the day, we had that opening, which gave us that lead. And then the second and third goals came.”

Finidi George Plans Tactical Push Against Abia Warriors

With the state trophy secured, Rivers United now turns their full attention back to the NPFL.

The coach is hoping the momentum from scoring three goals in the final will carry over into their next big league fixture.

Finidi emphasised the importance of clinical finishing as they prepare for a much tougher test next weekend.

“It’s good to have a victory before that important match next weekend. We scored three goals, so I hope we can replicate that against Abia Warriors. I’m not saying it’s going to be 3-0, but it would be nice for us to score more than one goal.

The form, the goal-scoring form, has been good in these three games we played this week. Let’s see how we can replicate that against Abia Warriors. It’s not going to be an easy match. We have to work hard. We have at least six days to prepare the boys properly for that encounter.”

A major part of that plan involves Handsome Surveyor, who has been in sensational form.

After scoring the final goal against Willbros, he has now found the net five times in his last four matches. Finidi is cautious about the player’s fitness but remains optimistic about his impact.

“He waited for his time, and I think everything is working for him. We hope he can bring that A-game against Abia Warriors.

In football, goalscoring is all about effort and luck. So luck is on his side. We hope he will be lucky that day to get us one or two goals.

We will continue to encourage him and let him recover fully because he has played three matches in one week. So we will make sure he recovers fully for that game.”

Rivers United will now represent the state in the President Federation Cup as they continue their hunt for more silverware this season.

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Last Updated on April 27, 2026 9:28 pm by footballrover