Tag: Rivers Utd

Rivers United coach Stanley Eguma has disclosed they will soon make public their mid-season signings as the CAF Confederation Cup campaigners target drafting some players from Mali.

“We’ve not been docile in the transfer market at the moment,” Eguma informed scorenigeria.com.ng

“We have been very active because we still have some grey areas in the team to strengthen, but at the moment we are yet to finalise some paper works on some of the incoming players.

“The moment we are done with this, we will make it public and this will take place sooner than later.”

Scorenigeria.com.ng checks reveal the club could sign players from some West African countries, especially Mali.

“We create numerous scoring chances in games, but putting them away has been one of the major low points we have in the team”, the official added.

‘The Pride of Rivers’ were short of the numbers during their ill-fated CAF Champions League campaign as they were understood to have registered only 25 players.

This meant they will have five spaces to fill in their squad numbers for the group phase of the Confederation Cup.

Rivers United will take a 2-0 advantage to high-altitude Rwanda next weekend as they aim to reach the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup after they stopped Rayon Sports in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Both sides had chances to score in the first half, but it was the hosts who eventually opened scoring after half an hour when Emeka Atuloma scrambled home from a goalmouth melee.

And six minutes after the interval, Ivorian striker Guy Kuemian made it 2-0 for the home team with a superb volley.

Rayon must rue missed several chances in this contest.

In the 13th minute, three Rayon Sports players beat the offside trap of Rivers United from a free kick, but failed to hit target.

And 10 minutes later, Rivers United goalkeeper Sunday Rotimi put to great use his wealth of experience to deny Mustapha of Rayon Sports with a fine save.

It was an exciting first 45 minutes with Rivers United making the most of their chances, while Rayon Sports were far from clinical in front of goal.

The character of the Nigerian club now faces a stern test next weekend as they attempt to defend their two-goal lead to qualify for the group phase of the Confederation Cup.

Rivers United’s captain, Austin Festus has expressed his delight at the Pride of Rivers pre-season tour of Spain and that it would help them in Nigeria’s topflight and the CAF Champions League where they have a preliminary round tie with AS Real Bamako of Mali in February.
Festus told Goal: “It was an eye opener for us and we cannot thank the Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike enough for putting this in place for us.
“It was an act of God that we will travel to Spain as the Super Four champions and this guided us while there that we must give good representation as representatives of the country. We held meetings among ourselves as players that we must be united and target victory in all our matches there.
“Our first game against Villarreal B was not easy but we used our experience to outwit them and against CD Roda we were close to getting another win before they salvaged a draw in the dying moments of the encounter.
“We are going to repay this kind act with impressive performances when the league starts next month. We are also ready for our CAF Champions League preliminary round opponents from Mali too.”

Despite playing the most part of the second half with 10 men, Rivers United still overpowered FC IfeanyiUbah at the ongoing NPFL Super Four played yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

The Pride of Rivers relaunched themselves back into reckoning in the Super Four tournament after losing 2-0 to Enugu Rangers despite the sending off of Ayobami Asekunowo in the 57th minute of the encounter for a two footed lounge on the Anambra Warriors’ player.

Rivers United doubled up their effort and they were able to withstand the pressure of the Nnewi side but in all  they still dominated the tie even with a man less.

Lukman Mohammed drew  first blood in the 11th minute through a goal mouth scramble before Gabriel Wassa added the second in the 69th minute to make the game safe for the Rivers United side.

Rivers United have thus gained their first points of the Super Four courtesy of the victory and they will have all to play for against Wikki Tourist on Sunday.

They are now third on the log with three points from two matches behind Enugu Rangers and Wikki who are first and second in that order.

Rivers United paraded several new signings to win big in a pre-season friendly against City Strikers and are now scheduled to take on Abuja Football College today.

“Most of the individuals who played today were doing so with the team for the very first time,” said coach Stanley Eguma.

“We are trying to ascertain their levels of fitness and see how they (embrace our philosophy).

“That was why we had mostly new players in the first half and the (retained players from last season) play in the second half.

“The integration of the old and new players is extremely important for us.”

Eguma rang the changes at the interval, introducing more familiar faces like Sunday Rotimi, Festus Austine, Gabriel Olalekan, Christian Weli, Godwin Obinze, Godbless Asamoah and Bernard Ovoke.

Rivers United were stunned when the unheralded Abuja side took the lead inside the opening five minutes following a breath taking counter attack.

That was as good as it would get for the Abuja club as United’s superiority and class shone through in the end.

Stung into action, last season’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) runners up responded, with a deadly dose of attacking football that left their opponents spell-bound.

New boy Daouda Ouattara was the stand-out performer as his excellently-taken brace in the 10th and 36th minutes capped a debut to remember.

His first was a fearsome volley, smashed into the top corner from the edge of the box while his second was a work of art; poetry in motion.

Best ‘Messi’ Deemua created space on the left after some nifty footwork that left his marker for dead as he honed in on goal.

The pint-sized midfielder then crossed delightfully for the onrushing Ouattara to produce an intelligently-weighted looping header that left the City Strikers goalkeeper shame faced.

The stunning nature of the goal had even some City strikers’ fans applauding as United went into the break 3-1 up following an expertly-taken penalty converted by Chiwendu Ali midway into the first stanza.

Ovoke quickly imposed himself on the game, dictating the play and carving goal scoring opportunities at will.

He came close to adding a goal scoring contribution in the 52nd minute but watched as his dangerous free kick sailed agonisingly wide.

Shortly before the end, Asamoah provided the coup de grace with a simply audacious finish; chipping the goalkeeper from 35 yards to draw appreciative noises from a healthy crowd.

Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the 2017 CAF Champions League.