Rivers United Coach Praises Team After Thrilling Win Over Rangers

Rivers United coach Finidi George has praised his players for their hard work after they beat Rangers International 3-2 in a thrilling President Federation Cup Round of 32 match. This game was seen as a potential final before the actual final.

The match featured two teams that fought hard for the NPFL title until the last day of the season. Rangers won the title by just one point, leaving Rivers United feeling the sting of defeat.

Still feeling the disappointment from that close title loss, Rivers United bounced back strong. They eliminated Rangers from the Federation Cup, keeping their hopes alive for a trophy this season.

After the exciting match, Finidi was pleased with both the result and how his team played, especially their strong performance in the first half.

"We started the game well. We are happy with the victory in the first place. The first half was very, very good," Finidi told reporters.

"We scored two goals. In the second half, I told them to at least keep the ball properly, defend well, and see how, after 20 minutes, the game will slow down. But yes, Rangers came back and they scored two goals."

Rivers United started strong but had to fight hard as Rangers made a comeback, turning the match into a nail-biter in the final minutes.

"It was a little bit scrappy in the last 10 minutes. At the end of the day, we got that victory. We are happy with it," Finidi added.

"We are up next in the round of 16. We are happy with it and we will keep pushing to see where we end up."

The winning moment came from substitute Handsome Surveyor, whose late goal was enough to send Rivers United into the next round.

Finidi shared that the coaching team always believed the forward could change the game, which is why they brought him on.

"We knew he has that luck as well," the former Super Eagles player said.

"That’s why we brought him in. At the end of the day, he got that goal for us, the winner. We are quite happy. We will keep encouraging him to see how he can help us as well."

This goal not only secured a spot in the next round but also gave Rivers United a chance for revenge against the team that took the league title from them just days before.

After overcoming one of the toughest matches at this stage of the tournament, Rivers United will now focus on their Round of 16 clash with Nasarawa United.

Nasarawa United had an easier path to the next stage, advancing without playing after Ejigbo City from Osun State failed to show up for their match.

With Rangers now out of the competition, Rivers United’s victory has boosted the belief that Finidi’s team can go all the way and turn their title disappointment into Federation Cup success.