Finidi George Delighted as Rivers United Hit Three Goals in Convincing Win Over El-Kanemi

Head coach Finidi George expressed his satisfaction after Rivers United scored three goals in a single match for the first time in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League season.

The Pride of Rivers delivered an impressive performance to defeat El-Kanemi Warriors 3–0 in their rescheduled Matchday 23 fixture at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on Wednesday.

Forward Wisdom Samuel opened the scoring just nine minutes after kick-off, giving the hosts an early advantage they maintained until the half-time break.

The lead was doubled in the 72nd minute when Chijioke Mbaoma converted from the penalty spot, before Samuel returned in stoppage time to complete his brace and seal a comfortable victory.

The result lifted Rivers United to the top of the NPFL standings, leapfrogging Rangers International, despite still having two matches in hand.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Finidi admitted he was particularly pleased with the team’s attacking display and the early breakthrough.

“I think it was a good game. This time around, we created chances and scored very early,” he said.

“That early goal gave us the energy to go for more. Normally, we used to score in the last ten minutes of a game — the 80th or 84th minute — and then we start struggling to defend that one goal.

“But that wasn’t the case in this one. And I’m quite happy we’ve broken that jinx. For the first time in the league, we scored three goals. I can’t believe it,” he added with a laugh.

The former Enyimba coach also revealed the message he delivered to his players during the half-time interval and praised the impact of his substitutions.

“I told them they should continue to keep the intensity going,” Finidi, popularly known as ‘Finito’, explained.

“And yes, a couple of players I brought in made that difference. Overall, we’re quite happy with the introduction of Douglas Iyowuna, who gave us freshness and clarity in midfield. We’re pleased for him.

“This is his second game and, judging by the overall performance, we deserved the three points we got today.”

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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