The 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season kicked off under the floodlights of the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta on Friday evening with all the drama befitting an opening-day blockbuster.
Defending champions Remo Stars, playing away from their Ikenne fortress due to renovation works, were forced to share the spoils with Rivers United in a gritty 1-1 draw that left both sides with equal measures of pride and frustration.
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It took just three minutes for the visitors to stun the champions. Ironically, it was Remo’s former player, Aniekeme Okon; arguably the shortest man on the pitch, who rose above everyone to head home the season’s very first goal and put Rivers United in front.
The Sky Blue Stars, however, responded just six minutes after through Victor Mbaoma, making his third stint at the club, who restored parity with a debut goal. Mbaoma’s joy was short-lived, though, as he was later forced off through injury, a worrying subplot for Daniel Ogunmodede’s side.
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For Rivers United coach Finidi George, the contest was always going to be bruising, and he admitted as much in his post-match reflections.
“It was a good game. I felt it was a good boost. In the first half, there were a couple of moments,” Finidi said, before quickly noting the physical edge to the clash.
“The game was too rough. We had two yellow cards, which limited us in pushing forward. But I would say it was a 50-50 encounter. If you look at the overall chances or half-chances that were created, it came from us.
“We are quite happy. It’s always going to be a difficult one coming here, playing away against Remo. But on the road, having that one point is really great. It motivates us for the next game.”
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Missed chances and what could have been
Despite Rivers United’s encouraging start, Finidi rued his side’s lack of composure in the final third.
“In some moments of the game, we had some penetrative passes which I feel my players should have been a little bit calmer in picking out themselves. But we were too much in a hurry and we shoot without hitting the target.
“That would have made a difference. In a game like this, you don’t have a lot of chances. The few or half chances that you get, you try to take them. But it didn’t happen for us today. Overall, we are quite happy with that one point.”
The former Enyimba boss also acknowledged that while United went into the match seeking maximum points, they were realistic about the challenge of facing the champions in their own “home away from home.”
“When you come to a game like this, you want to get the maximum of your points. But we also know that Remo is playing at home. They are the defending champions. We knew it was not going to be easy.
“But we gave them a hard fight. At the end of the day, one costly mistake gave them that goal. That’s football, we have to learn from it. We still have time for the second game.”
Managing National duty returnees
The fixture also carried an extra layer of intrigue as both sides had several players returning from the Super Eagles B camp after CHAN 2024. Questions were asked about Finidi’s decision to field his returning trio from the start, but the coach explained it was necessary to match Remo’s selection.
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“They had a lot of players coming back. We knew they were going to field in a couple of their players. We had to match them. They all travelled together. My players cannot say they are tired while Remo’s players are ready to go for the game.
“We had to go with our three players. Luckily for us, two were able to complete the game. We are quite happy with that. Now they are going to have some rest.”
The road ahead
For Rivers United, the draw extends their impressive opening-day record; they haven’t lost a season opener in over a decade. But for Finidi George, the bigger picture is about momentum and turning belief into results across a long season.
Friday night’s performance in Abeokuta may not have delivered all three points, but in the NPFL, it underlined that Rivers United will again be in the conversation for the title race.
Remo Stars, meanwhile, were reminded that defending a crown is always harder than winning it.
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