Finidi George and his Rivers United side suffered their fourth defeat of the season after losing to Shooting Stars in their rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clash in Ibadan.

Despite entering the encounter with strong momentum following back-to-back home victories over El Kanemi Warriors and Bendel Insurance, the Pride of Rivers failed to maintain that form on the road, Footballrover reports.

Rivers United Suffer Fourth NPFL Defeat Against Shooting Stars

Three of Rivers United’s defeats this season have come away from home — against Bayelsa United, Barau FC, and now Shooting Stars — while their only home loss was also against Bayelsa United.

The Port Harcourt outfit were hoping to move five points clear at the top of the 2025/26 NPFL table, but fell short as goals from Sodiq Ibrahim and Qamar Adegoke in either half proved decisive.

Finidi George’s United Miss Chance to Extend NPFL Lead

The rescheduled Matchday 24 fixture at the Lekan Salami Stadium started poorly for the visitors.

Ibrahim fired the home side ahead in the 34th minute, giving Shooting Stars a slim lead heading into halftime.

Twenty-three minutes after the restart, Wasiu Falolu restored parity for the Garden City side and briefly reignited hopes of securing at least a point from the game.

However, just when United looked set to escape with a draw, Adegoke struck deep into stoppage time to seal victory for 3SC and claim all three points.

Despite the narrow defeat, Finidi and his team remain two points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand as they prepare for another away clash against Ikorodu City on Sunday.

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Last Updated on March 12, 2026 7:58 pm by footballrover