On match day four of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Rivers United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in Port Harcourt, but head coach Finidi George admitted he was far from impressed with his team’s performance.
The victory came against a struggling Shooting Stars side, now under the stewardship of new coach Nurudeen Aweroro, yet the result did little to mask Rivers United’s struggles on home soil.
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Speaking after the match, Finidi, a Nigerian football legend and former Super Eagles coach, described the performance as one of the worst he has seen since taking charge of the Port Harcourt side.
“First and foremost, I am happy with the three points, but I am not quite happy. I have to be honest. I didn’t recognise my team today,” Finidi said.
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“Too many mistakes”
Finidi pointed to the team’s lack of control and poor decision-making throughout the match.
“We were too much in a hurry, too many mistakes. I didn’t see my team in one moment that I can say we were in total control. I don’t know the reason for that.”
The former Ajax winger confirmed there would be an internal inquest to understand what went wrong.
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“Tomorrow we are going to have a post-match meeting so that they can speak, so we can know exactly what really transpired.”
One of the worst games
Despite taking maximum points, Finidi did not hide his disappointment, calling the performance a low point in his tenure.
“From the outside, we looked at the game, it didn’t seem too favourable for us. We struggled. For me, it’s one of our worst games since I joined Rivers United.”
League table picture
The win keeps Rivers United in second place on the NPFL standings, level on points with nine-time champions Enyimba, who remain top only on goal difference; a slim advantage of plus one goal, with both sides yet to lose a game.
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At the other end, Shooting Stars are stuck in the relegation places, sitting 19th with just two points from four games. For new coach Nurudeen Aweroro, the wait for a first league win with the Oluyole Warriors continues.
Looking ahead
With Rivers United still aiming to build momentum this season, Finidi insisted that major improvements must follow.
“We have to be better in all aspects of the game. We will look into that and see where we can make improvements.”
The candid remarks reflect a coach who, despite getting the job done on paper, and the league still in its early days, is unwilling to paper over the cracks, as Rivers United push to sustain their title challenge, while 3SC search desperately for a winning formula to climb out of danger.
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