Rivers United technical adviser Finidi George has expressed confidence that the club will bounce back stronger following their disappointing outing in the CAF Champions League.
The Port Harcourt-based side ended their group-stage campaign with a heavy 3-0 defeat to Moroccan outfit RS Berkane on Sunday. Rivers United managed just one draw and suffered five defeats from six matches in the competition.
Reflecting on the loss, Finidi admitted his team were second best on the night and praised the quality of their opponents.
“RS Berkane were the better side, they dominated and created all the chances in the game,” Finidi said in a post-match interview.
“We tried to match them in the second half but we failed.”
Despite the poor run, the former Nigeria international believes the experience will serve as a valuable lesson for his squad as they look ahead to future continental campaigns.
“We have to congratulate Berkane. We tried to do better in the tournament, but it wasn’t possible,” he added.
“If we come back next season we are going to be stronger, as it is a learning process for us.”
Rivers United will now shift focus back to domestic football, with Finidi hopeful that improved performances at home can secure qualification for next season’s CAF Champions League and a chance to apply the lessons learned on the continental stage.
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.
