By Wale Mustapha
Rivers United head coach, George Finidi, has expressed relief after his side secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a hard-fought Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) encounter on Wednesday.
The win, coming just days after their qualification for the next round of the CAF Champions League, lifted Rivers United to third on the NPFL table with 11 points from six matches.
Playing one of their outstanding fixtures, the Pride of Rivers hosted the Ikon Allah Boys at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, where Maclyn Biokpo’s 50th-minute penalty proved to be the difference.
Speaking after the match, Finidi acknowledged the difficulty of the contest and commended his players for their discipline and determination.
“Niger Tornadoes are a very physical side; they gave us a tough run, but we are happy we got the three points,” Finidi said during his post-match press conference.
“I must commend my players for their discipline throughout the encounter.”
The result extends Rivers United’s unbeaten run at home this season and sets the stage for an emotional return for Finidi, who will lead his side against his former club, Enyimba FC, in a Matchday Seven clash on Sunday in Aba.
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.
