Sports
CCL: “Rivers United will get better”
The Pride of Rivers booked their place in the second round on Sunday, thanks to a 1-0 win over the Congolese side at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. They had earned a goalless draw in Kinshasa a week before.
Defender Stephen Manyo grabbed the goal for Rivers United on the stroke of halftime after reacting quickly to Ubong Friday’s free kick, which was parried by the opponent’s goalkeeper.
The win set up a clash against Black Bulls in the round next month, and the coach has harped on the need to restrategise.
“We are quite happy with the victory; it was not an easy one, but we will take that 1-0 victory any day, anytime,” Finidi said after Sunday’s win.
“We are looking forward to the next round, which is the most important. We see a lot of lapses and mistakes, and that has pushed us to get better. We will get better, and I’m not quite worried. Now we have to plan for the next match, especially about finishing.”
Rivers United and Nigeria Premier Football League champions Remo Stars are Nigeria’s surviving clubs in the preliminaries of the continental assignments, no thanks to the elimination of Kwara United and Abia Warriors in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Remo Stars also have a date with Mamelodi Sundowns in the second round next month.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.