Rivers United booked their spot in the next round of the CAF Champions League with a tense 1-0 victory over Aigles du Congo on Sunday afternoon at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The narrow win sealed a 1-0 aggregate win and kept the Pride of Rivers’ continental journey alive.
Manyo’s decisive header lifts Rivers United past Aigles du Congo
The breakthrough came midway through the game when Aigles du Congo’s goalkeeper failed to deal cleanly with a teasing cross.
The loose ball fell kindly to Stephen Manyo, who reacted quickest and powered his header into the net to give Rivers United the crucial lead.
The Super Eagles defender’s goal proved decisive as the Nigerian side held firm against late pressure from the visitors.
The result ensured that Rivers United advanced to the next round, where they will face the Black Bulls of Mozambique.
Finidi’s playful 1994 World Cup reference sparks light moment
After the match, Rivers United coach Finidi George expressed satisfaction with his side’s progress but admitted his players were nervous at times.
“They were a little nervous, and that urge to win made them rush certain chances,” Finidi said. “We will get better as the games go on. Some of the players are new to this competition, and every match will give them more experience.”
The coach couldn’t resist teasing one of his forwards who attempted an audacious chip in a one-on-one situation instead of taking a straightforward shot.
“It’s the players’ ability to put the ball behind the net. We can do all the training, but when it comes to match situations, sometimes some players shy away. You can see today where the player should shoot the ball; he wants to control in the six-hand box. We had a one-on-one situation where he wanted to chip the keeper. I don’t know if they saw me in the 1994 World Cup trying to do something similar,” Finidi joked. “We’ll work on that in training.”
While his light-hearted comment brought smiles to the press room, Finidi and his men will now shift their attention to the upcoming clash against the Black Bulls next month.
And Finidi believes the team’s gradual growth and hard-fought win in Uyo will serve them well in the next round.
“Now we have to plan for the next match. Every game will give them that bit of experience. I’m not quite worried, but quite happy,” Finidi concluded.
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