By Wale Mustapha
Experienced Nigerian goalkeeper John Noble has completed a return to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), signing with Rivers United ahead of the upcoming season.
Noble, 32, previously starred for nine-time NPFL champions Enyimba, where he played a key role in their 2022/2023 title-winning campaign. He departed the Aba-based side in 2023 to continue his career in Tanzania.
During his two-year stint in East Africa, the shot-stopper featured for Tabora United and later for Singida Fountain Gate, seeing out his contract at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Now back on home soil, Noble has already begun training with Rivers United as they prepare for a demanding season both domestically and on the continental stage.
His wealth of experience is expected to be instrumental for Finidi George’s side, particularly as they gear up for a CAF Champions League campaign.
Noble’s return is seen as a boost for Rivers United, who are aiming to strengthen their squad with proven talents ahead of the new football year.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
