Finidi George expresses disappointment over late goal by Nassarawa United

Rivers United coach Finidi George is unhappy about his team's late defensive mistake after Nassarawa United came back to draw 1-1 in Lafia. The former Super Eagles star also questioned the penalty that led to the hosts' equalizer.

Rivers United looked ready to take home an away win before Nassarawa United equalized in the 84th minute. The visitors dropped too deep in the last minutes, and Nassarawa took advantage.

Finidi admitted that his players made things harder for themselves by falling back too much. He had been telling them from the sideline to stay higher and defend away from their penalty area.

“I think today (Sunday) my boys did well. I think the last ten minutes we defended a little bit too deep. And that was why you have those kind of situations,” Finidi told reporters after the match.

The Rivers United manager shared that he was urging his players to step up and stop Nassarawa United from putting pressure around their box.

“You know, I was shouting from the bench that they should push. You know, come out a little bit, play outside the 18, so that situations like this will not occur,” he said.

“But unfortunately, they got it and they scored that goal.”

The late goal was a big blow for Rivers United, who were hoping for a full three points.

For Finidi, the way the equalizer happened was his main worry. He questioned the penalty given to Nassarawa, but he knew there was nothing his team could do once the referee made the call.

“My only concern was, yeah, it’s questionable, the penalty. But, the referee said he saw it, so we have to accept that,” Finidi said.

Despite his concerns about the penalty and his team's defense in the last moments, Finidi urged his players to move on and focus on their next match.

“We have to move on and think about the next match. But we’re happy with this one point,” he added.

This draw shows Finidi's warning about the tough season ahead. He believes every game will require his team to find ways to earn maximum points.

“Every game is difficult this season. Even when we’re playing home matches, it’s all so difficult. But you have to find a way around to get the maximum three points.”

With Rivers United sharing points in Lafia after losing their lead late in the game, Finidi remains focused on the overall goal for the season.

“We’re just happy. We’ll see how far we can go this season,” he concluded.