Finidi eyes Rivers’ resurgence in top-of-table clash with Remo
Rivers United coach Finidi George is upbeat about their chances of turning the Nigeria Premier Football League around against leaders Remo Stars in a top-of-the-table clash in Ikenne on Sunday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Pride of Rivers are currently second on the log behind their hosts with 21 points, just a point separating both sides.
Finidi’s side, however, come to the clash on the back of two consecutive defeats in the league, but the gaffer says they have put the bad results behind them.
After an impressive start to the campaign, which saw Rivers United maintain a nine-match unbeaten streak that was truncated against Ikorodu City on match-day 10, while Bayelsa United also inflicted a 1-0 defeat on them in Port Harcourt.
“There is no pressure; when we were winning, we had no pressure. It’s good it happened now because if it happened at the tail end of the season, it would have been worrisome,” Finidi said.
Ahead of their 10th meeting in the NPFL, Finidi is confident that his team will bounce back.
“We will get back; we will see where to make those adjustments and get the players back. Sometimes things like this happen. We have to get back on track because we are facing Remo Stars next in the league,” Finidi said.
Considering their last five matches, Remo Stars and Rivers United look similar in terms of form, with both clubs winning just two of their last five games, plus one draw and two defeats each.
Remo, however, hold the advantage, having won more matches out of the 11 played so far this season, but that difference is only a one-point lead.
The captain of the hosts, Junior Nduka, described the game as crucial to their ambitions this season, having missed out on the NPFL title by the whiskers in the last two seasons.
“Every game is important to us regardless of the team or even where they are in the table,” Nduka told PUNCH Sports Extra.
“We just want to take every game step-by-step and as they come. We just want to play and make sure we win.”
While Finidi will be in the dugout for Rivers, Remo Stars will be missing the presence of their gaffer, Daniel Ogunmodede, who is on a national assignment with the Super Eagles in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
In his absence, coach Sulaiman Kamil has been able to hold it down, managing a number of wins, including the goalless draw at Enyimba last week.
Remo Stars and Rivers United have met nine times in the NPFL, with the Port Harcourt side having the upper hand head-to-head with six wins. Remo’s only win against the Pride of Rivers came last season, when they won 2-1 in Ikenne, while the only draw was the dramatic 2-2 draw during the Super 6 playoffs in Onikan, Lagos, in 2023.
