Rivers United held by Ranchers Bees but Finidi George eyes NPFL summit

Rivers United technical adviser Finidi George was pleased with his side’s goalless draw away to Ranchers Bees, a result which extended their unbeaten start to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

The Port Harcourt club secured a point in their matchday six fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Monday. The draw lifted Rivers United into second place in the table, with 11 points from five matches.

Finidi, a former Nigeria international, accepted that taking anything from the match had been difficult, particularly after a first half in which he felt the hosts were the stronger side.

“It is a good point,” Finidi told journalists after the game.

“This is a place where it is very difficult to even pick a point. I thought they were ahead of us in the first half, but we came out better in the second half.

“We are looking forward to the next game and seeing how we can have a better performance in Katsina on Wednesday.”

Rivers United’s next fixture gives them the chance to move to the top of the NPFL standings. They will visit Katsina United on Wednesday, with victory enough to take them into first place.

Finidi said the squad would now turn its attention to recovering quickly and competing for all three points in their next match.

“It is crucial, and we want to be at the top after our next match. This one point in Kano will go a long way. At the end of the day, you will see that it can put you in a good place,” he added.

The Rivers United adviser said the players would regroup before attempting to produce a stronger display in Katsina.

“We will just regroup and see how these boys can compete again.”