Sports
CAFCC: Coaches Praise Eguma Over Team’s Good Performance
Coaches in Rivers State have praised the impressive performance of Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt, following the team’s thrashing of Bloemfontein Celtic of South Africa 3-0 last Saturday.
The encounter was the second leg of CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC) played at Porto Novo in Republic of Benin, as United’s home ground.
The pride of Rivers State, won their first leg against their opponents 2-0, making it 5-0 (aggregate) home and away.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Tidesports, the Head Coach of Ajagu Football Academy of Port Harcourt, Olaliye Owolabi, said he was delighted with the performance of Rivers United FC in the continental competition.
He noted that United was currently doing a great job both in the continent and league game.
“Watching them play against Kwara United FC and Heartland FC in the Nigeria Processional Football League, (NPFL) the team is really in good form,” Owolabi said.
The former Nigeria international further commended the technical crew of the club for a job well done.
“ I know with the addition of some experienced players in the team, they will do much better in both competitions in future,” he stated.
He pointed out that with the present form of United FC they have got an edge over Enyimba FC of Aba.
Speaking, the Head Coach of Wilbros Football Club of Port Harcourt, Adedoni Adenika, said the current performance of Rivers United FC was high, saying that all the departments were working well.
“The retainership of 90 percent of their players could be secret behind the success of the team.
Rivers United has some good players from the goal keeper to the strikers, who have experience in continental engagements,” he stated.
He praised the attitude of Stanley Eguma, towards the team performance and current form.
“They have done a great job as they are making Rivers State and the country at large proud.
Also speaking, the Head Coach of Macjef Football Academy of Port Harcourt, Ndubuisi Ihejirika, said he believed that presently Rivers United had a good team that can represent the country in any level of competition.
“Winning away and home is a good result and they should keep it up,” Ndubuisi said.
By: Kiadum Edookor
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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