Rivers United head coach Finidi George has expressed confidence as his team prepares to face Kwara United in their NPFL Matchday 2 clash at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Sunday.

After a hard-fought opening game against Remo Stars, the Pride of Rivers return home looking to claim their first three points of the season in front of their fans, Footballrover reports.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the former Super Eagles coach shared his thoughts on the importance of home advantage, the role of supporters, his targets for the season, and the team’s continental ambitions.

He also admitted that while the squad still needs a few reinforcements, the players remain ready to compete against the league’s best.

On Preparations for Kwara United

Q: How are your preparations for the Matchday Two clash against Kwara United?

Finidi George: “I think the players have rested well after the Remo game. We’ve started training, and I know how difficult a game like this can be, but we’re playing at home with the support, and I think we’ll have that edge come Sunday.”

The Role of the Fans

Q: How important is the 12th man (the fans) for this home opener for the Pride of Rivers?

Finidi George: “We are still looking forward to when the stadium will be filled up, but whatever fans we get on Sunday, we’ll accept it. We wish the stadium will be filled up, but on our own part, we’ll do our job to make sure that we get the maximum three points.”

Importance of Three Points

Q: How important are the three points for you and the team in your first home game?

Finidi George: “It looks like a repetition of last season, where we had a draw against Insurance; we came back home and won, so we hope we’ll be lucky enough and take the three points and feel comfortable in the league table.”

Facing Strong Opposition Early On

Q: Playing back-to-back against two teams that will be featuring in continental games, would you have wished for another team instead?

Finidi George: “No, no, no! For us to win the league, we have to play against these top teams. Either we play them now or later in the league. I prefer we play this team at the beginning of the season; if there are mistakes, we know where to correct them.

So, the harder the opponents, I think it’s good for us. We are not scared of anybody; we’ll play our best football this season, and hopefully we’ll get the results that we deserve.”

Season Expectations

Q: This is your second season with the club; you took second in your first season. What are you promising fans this time around, or should they expect another second-place finish?

Finidi George: “(Laughs)… It’s a difficult question. There are a lot of teams playing to win the league this season: Enyimba, Rangers, and even Remo Stars, who are the defending champions. We are also in the midst of doing the same, so we hope to get the best season.

If we want to surpass last season, that means we have to win the league, but there is no guarantee in football. Last season, I said we’ll look for a continental ticket, and we got it, so this season also, we’ll look for a continental ticket, which means first, second or third place, which I think is not bad.

For me, I know my message to the players, but that will not be for the public; that’s for me and the players to get that done.”

On Readiness and Fitness

Q: Where is the team now in terms of preparation and readiness for the campaign ahead?

Finidi George: “We are quite ready. We saw it in the preseason tournament, and the more games we play, the team will get even more fitter. I’m not saying they are not fit, but there is preseason fitness and league fitness.

You saw what we did against Remo; I think the team will get better. By the time we play our 4th match, you will see that sharpness that we are used to. So, I’m not quite worried; every team is on the same level as we are, fitness-wise. By the third or fourth game, we’ll begin to see that readiness and match fitness.”

Finidi’s Personal Ambition

Q: What have you told yourself that you plan to do or achieve this season?

Finidi George: “For me, I’m very, very optimistic; I want results. It’s results that are keeping me going. I want to compete. Even if I’m not a player, I want to compete with other coaches and see what they have. For me, my focus for this season is to win the league. Is it possible? I think it’s possible.

Is it going to happen that way? I don’t know because we just played our first match; we don’t know what’s going to happen, how long is the season, injury and all of that. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but for me personally, my target is to win the league. It’s my 5th season (as coach in NPFL). If I can have a repeat of what I had in my second season at Enyimba, then that would be fantastic.”

CAF Champions League Ambitions

Q: How realistic is the target of reaching the group stage of the CAF Champions League considering the fact that NPFL teams usually struggle on the continent?

Finidi George: “I still stand by that (our aim is to get to the group stage), but what happens in the group stage? We’ll be looking forward to that. I think we are ready, like I said earlier; by the time we play our 3rd and 4th games, the team will be fully set for any continental match, so we’ll see what happens.

We are not going to continental matches for sightseeing; we’ll go there to compete. Since we are playing home and away, we’ll see how we can get the best results over there and come back home to see how we can scale through.”

Scouting Opponents

Q: Any knowledge of your opponents since you are playing Congolese champions first?

Finidi George: “Yeah! It’s a good team; somebody is sending video clips of three of their matches. We’ll get it this week, and from there we start planning and see their strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll work with that. Somebody has given us that assurance that he’s going to send it, so we can look at that and work with our team.”

Squad Depth and Recruitment

Q: What’s the quality of your bench considering the fact the team has a league title, FA Cup and a continental game to chase this season?

Finidi George: “We have a couple of players that have played on the continent before, so that is a plus. We also brought in a couple of players to add up to what we had last season. The squad is not fully complete.

We are still searching for a striker, wingers, and another defensive midfielder, which I think before the close of the window, we might achieve that, but it’s quite difficult in Nigeria here to get those calibres of players because every club also is looking to sign the best.

We’ll see what will happen. But for what we have at the moment, I think we can go; we still have the mid-season transfer window.

If we don’t have any player better than what we have or at the same level, we’ll manage ourselves till mid-season and see if we can bring in two or three players to the squad.”

On Signing Foreign Players

Q: Do you have to support injecting two or three foreign players to strengthen the team?

Finidi George: “I think every coach will want quality players. But we all know that even our players are leaving Nigeria and going elsewhere; there is an attraction to it. During the off season, we tried; we spoke about it, and it requires funds, but we all know the situation at the moment; it’s not easy.

I don’t want to talk much about that. For me or any other coach, I would prefer to have quality players from Nigeria or abroad, but at the moment, I don’t think we have the capacity; I have to be realistic. If we can manage ourselves till mid-season, I think there will be a possibility to do that.”

On Trialists and Squad Completion

Q: Reports suggest that the team is still camping players on the trail. What’s your plan for the players now that the league has kicked off?

Finidi George: “Like I said, the squad is not complete; we tried to fill in those gaps. If they are not good enough, definitely they will leave; that’s just it. They are in trials; they train with us. We are also looking at mid-season and what we can do. If they are good enough, right away we’ll give them a contract.”

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Last Updated on August 29, 2025 10:28 am by Sir Kris