By Wale Mustapha
Rivers United head coach, George Finidi, says his team is braced for a tough battle when they square up against Elkanemi Warriors in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Sunday in Maiduguri.
The Pride of Rivers, who have picked up four points from their opening two games, will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten start.
But Finidi has warned his players to expect a stern test from the Borno Army, who also boast four points from two matches.
“Our early arrival in Maiduguri has helped us to rest well, it has made us relax and ready to go,” Finidi said in a pre-match interview.
“I told my players that it is not going to be an easy game because Elkanemi Warriors are also a good side.”
Both sides go into the tie with identical records, setting up what promises to be a closely contested clash as they jostle for early momentum in the campaign.
Kick-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Elkanemi Stadium, Maiduguri.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
