By Dayo Awoniyi
Rivers United head coach Finidi George has delivered a frank evaluation of his team’s 3–0 defeat to reigning CAF Champions League winners Pyramids FC in their Group Stage opener on Saturday in Cairo.
The Pride of Rivers held their own in a competitive first half, containing the Egyptian champions while carving out a few promising openings.
But the match slipped away swiftly after the break, as Ahmed Atef capitalised on a series of defensive lapses to score a clinical hat-trick.
Finidi acknowledged that the defeat stemmed largely from his side’s own errors.
“We played well but the final touch was not there,” he said.
“We did well in the first half, but in the second half their first goal was a mistake from our defender. When you let a team like this score, they gain momentum, and from there they got their second goal, and the game was over.”
Despite the setback, the Rivers United manager insisted the loss provides important lessons as the team recalibrates for the remaining group fixtures.
The Port Harcourt club will look to bounce back in their next CAF Champions League outing as they attempt to reignite their qualification campaign.
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.
