Rivers United marked Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day in style, grinding out a 1-0 win over Niger Tornadoes at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Wednesday to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2025/26 NPFL season.
The victory lifted the Port Harcourt outfit to third in the table with 11 points from five matches, while Tornadoes slipped to fourth, Footballrover reports.
Biokpo’s Penalty Lifts Rivers United to Independence Day Victory
It also extended the Pride of Rivers’ impressive home unbeaten run to 16 league games — a streak that stretches back to November 2024.
On a wet and slippery pitch in the Garden City, both sides created opportunities but failed to convert in the first half.
The breakthrough came just five minutes after the restart when Maclyn Biokpo coolly converted a penalty, sealing the win and all three points for the hosts.
It was yet another frustrating outing for Niger Tornadoes, who have now lost their last nine NPFL games in Port Harcourt.
Finidi Praises Defensive Solidity and Sets Bold Target
Head coach Finidi George lauded his side’s defensive discipline after conceding just one goal in all competitions this season—even as the team has managed only four goals in five NPFL games.
Speaking after the game, Finidi said:
— “Not conceding is a boost. So we are quite happy with the performance of the whole team, but especially the defenders. We’ll keep encouraging them. If we can go 20 games without conceding, that would be a record for them. Not me, for the players.”
He added:
— “We are happy that we are having the victory at the moment, but I know by the time we get to Week 10 or Week 15, we will start scoring more goals, more than one goal. Inasmuch as we are not scoring more goals, we are happy with the three points per game.”
The win not only kept Rivers United unbeaten but also reinforced their reputation as one of the league’s toughest defensive units right now.
Their last home defeat came against Bayelsa United on November 10, 2024.
Eyes on Enyimba as Rivers United Continue Unbeaten Charge
The PH City side will now turn their attention to a high-stakes trip to Aba to face Enyimba at the Elephant Park on Sunday.
The Pride of Rivers aim to build on their strong start and push higher up the NPFL table; that’s the reason they rested their starting XI against Tornadoes.
Meanwhile, Niger Tornadoes will look to regroup and bounce back when they host Kun Khalifat on the same day.
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