By Wale Mustapha
Rivers United head coach Finidi George remains confident his team will retain second place in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), despite a 2-0 loss to Abia Warriors.
The defeat on Sunday narrowed Rivers United’s lead over third-placed Abia Warriors to just two points, heightening the race for a continental ticket.
The top two teams in the NPFL standings will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League, while the third-placed side earns a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Despite the setback, Finidi is optimistic that his side will bounce back and secure the crucial second spot.
“We’re still two points ahead of them. They play away in their next game, and we’ll be at home,” George said.
“We’re going to win our game and stretch the gap to five points. I’m confident we’ll get the job done.”
Rivers United will host Sunshine Stars in their next fixture, while Abia Warriors travel to face Katsina United.
With just five matches remaining in the season, the battle for continental qualification remains intense among the league’s top contenders.
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.
