Rivers United suffered a heart-wrenching 2-1 defeat to RS Berkane in their CAF Champions League Matchday 2 clash at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Despite taking an early lead through an own goal, the NPFL side could not hold on, conceding twice in stoppage time, Footballrover reports.

Rivers United’s Early Promise Lost in Stoppage Time

Following the loss, United coach Finidi George did not hold back, criticising his team for what he described as terrible game management in the final minutes of the match.

Finidi George expressed his disappointment with how the final moments unfolded, saying,

“I have to say a draw wouldn’t have been a good result for us, but the loss is devastating. I think the overall performance of my players deserves more than what the outcome of the game looked like. It is quite unfortunate that we lost today.”

The coach highlighted the moments leading to the equaliser, noting,

“If you ask me, I would say I cannot explain because we had a free kick, and from our own free kick, they got their own free kick, and that was how they got the equaliser. You all saw the second goal; we were taking off from the middle, and a striker would run from the middle and have a block and score the goal. So it is quite unfortunate that in that extra minute, it is the players’ management; I’ll put it that way.”

Finidi stressed the importance of managing the ball wisely in critical moments, adding that,

“If I were playing that game, I would have tried to kick it towards the corner flag so that whatever happens there, you have all the players behind the ball. But it is quite unfortunate; the player lost the ball there, and they had that counter, and then we had to foul them from that moment, they got their goal.”

Substitutions and Player Performance

On the tactical changes, Finidi defended his decisions, claiming that they didn’t affect the outcome of the game.

“No, I don’t think so. I felt we took off the striker because he was not pressing anymore, and the two centre-backs were always free, and that became a problem for us; they were pushing us back. So we wanted them to kick long. That is why we brought in a fresh midfielder, and to help Timothy that we brought in for Obi, we had to push Timothy from the wing to number nine.”

He added context to the fine margins of football, saying,

“It was going well; we also had another chance to have scored. So if you look at football, sometimes you don’t know what is going to happen. If we had scored a second goal and we won, everything would have been fantastic; everything would have been easy. Now that we lost, it looks as if the changes were bad.”

Finidi also praised his squad for their season-long effort, highlighting,

“They have been fantastic all through the season. The first goal that they scored against us was a terrible mistake.”

Reflections on Strikers and Squad Quality

Addressing concerns about the quality of forwards, Finidi was candid:

“This is my fifth season in the NPFL. If you talk about strikers, this is what we have. We can’t manufacture them from anywhere unless you want to go elsewhere and acquire strikers. What we have is what we have. We have to go with that.”

He also reflected on positional challenges, noting,

“Talking about wingers, it’s quite difficult. We work with these players. We work with them day in, day out. For me, I was not. If you don’t know, for those that know me very well, I was not a wing player. I was a midfielder when I started. So, I was pushed to the side. Everything worked out well for me.”

Despite the loss, Finidi emphasised the overall performance.

“The goals took away the good things the players did today. That lack of management in several minutes cost us the match. If you want to look at the game, the total performance of the players, I think we did well.”

Looking Ahead in the CAF Champions League

Finidi remained hopeful about Rivers United’s Group A prospects, saying,

“We will compete. Today, I think we did well. We have to look at the positives and see how we can, by January, see how we can; maybe we can get some signings and then fortify the team, see where we are lacking players and try to be better in that aspect. The game management – that’s up to the players.”

He concluded with a focus on practical solutions for game management, adding,

“There’s nothing we can do. We always tell them, use the wings; take the ball to the corners. Keep the ball there. It’s not time-wasting. It’s still part of the game, but you’re keeping the ball while time is ticking.”

Rivers United will now regroup and prepare for Matchday 3 in January 2026 against Power Dynamos, while domestic league duties resume against Kano Pillars.

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Last Updated on November 29, 2025 8:53 am by footballrover