Rivers United showed strong character in their rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) game on Wednesday as defender Stephen Manyo delivered a late match-winning goal to help his side beat Barau FC 1-0 and remain at the top of the league table with 46 points.

The game, played at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, was indeed a tough one, but the hosts controlled large parts of the match, Footballrover reports.

Stephen Manyo ends Barau unbeaten run with smart finish

Speaking about the game, Manyo was happy with the team’s effort and his personal contribution.

“First of all, I would say thanks to God Almighty. It was an amazing game, an interesting game from both sides.

They gave us a good fight, a good run for our money. At the end of the day we had our first victory, which is very important. And I can see improvement; it was better than the last game because the last game we did not play,” he said.

He also added:

“But I thank God for giving me that goal, another goal to my name. As a player I feel great; I feel good as a centre defender, scoring for my team, important wins and important goals for my team every now and then. I feel great.”

The Maliya Boys arrived with confidence after seven matches without defeat. However, their hosts pushed hard to break their resistance.

The visitors had looked solid defensively before Manyo’s decisive strike changed the game.

On the challenge posed by the opponents, Manyo said:

“Yes, they had seven matches unbeaten. I said it was an interesting game because they gave us a good run for our money. You can see they are on the good side; they are not on the bad side.

So having that seven-unbeaten run, I think they deserve it. But I thank God we ended the seven unbeaten runs today.”

The defender’s goal came from a well-worked set-piece routine. Wasiu Falolu set up Issac Annor, who used a clever dummy to beat his marker before passing the ball to Manyo outside the box.

Manyo showed sharp decision-making before scoring. He explained his thought process before taking the shot.

“I saw the goalkeeper was positioned on the left side of the post. If I hit directly and there are many opponents in the box, hitting directly would have just deflected off someone and come back. So, I just had to place the ball in the second post.”

Tactical awareness brings Rivers United victory

The 85th-minute strike triggered celebrations across the stadium as Rivers United secured a crucial victory. The win also helped the club end a difficult run of results across all competitions.

Before this victory, the Finidi George side had struggled with a mixed run of results, including draws and defeats in continental competition.

The Garden City side had earlier suffered three consecutive defeats in the CAF Champions League but showed resilience to recover form in domestic action.

Stephen Manyo, who has also scored in continental competitions for the club, continues to be a dependable option at the back while contributing goals when needed.

The result pushes Rivers United further in the title race, while Barau dropped to 13th position with 34 points. The victory could prove very important as the season reaches its business end.

Rivers United will now prepare for their next fixtures, starting with an away game against Bayelsa United on March 1, followed by a home clash against El-Kanemi Warriors on March 4.

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Last Updated on February 27, 2026 8:25 am by footballrover