Rivers United head coach, Finidi George, says his staff will develop stronger after edging Aigles du Congo 1-0 on mixture to qualify for the second preliminary spherical of the CAF Champions League the place they’ll Black Bulls of Mozambique, Sports247 studies.
A primary-half strike on the Godswill Akpabio Worldwide Stadium, Uyo, on Sunday proved sufficient to ship the Pleasure of Rivers by way of, establishing a decisive conflict with Black Bull of Mozambique for a spot within the money-spinning group stage.
Reflecting on the nervy victory, Finidi admitted it was removed from an ideal show however praised his gamers for getting the job carried out. “We all know it gained’t be straightforward, however we’ll construct on this win. An important factor is that we scaled by way of this spherical and might now give attention to our subsequent opponent,” the coach mentioned.
He famous that the gamers confirmed nerves within the first half and missed key alternatives to seal the tie early. “We had probabilities, however there have been lapses and errors. At half-time, we instructed them to settle down. Within the second half, we created extra alternatives however couldn’t end. From then, we needed to shield what we had,” he defined.
Finidi additionally highlighted the inexperience of his squad, with a number of gamers making their continental debut. “Many haven’t performed at this degree earlier than, so the nervousness was anticipated. With each sport, they’ll achieve confidence. I’m not apprehensive — they’ll get higher,” he mentioned.
Trying forward, the previous Tremendous Eagles winger assured followers that Rivers United will probably be prepared for the Mozambican champions. “We’ll put together effectively for Black Bull. It’s going to be powerful, however this win provides us one thing to construct on.”
Rivers United will journey to Maputo for the primary leg on October 17, 2025 earlier than returning to Uyo for the return leg the place the winner over the legs will make it into the group stage.
