Rivers United coach Finidi George has publicly challenged the mental fortitude of his players after the team conceded another stoppage-time goal. This costly lapse denied them a crucial win against Abia Warriors in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match-day 16 game in Umuahia on Sunday.
The match remained scoreless until the 86th minute when Maclyn Biokpo broke the deadlock for Rivers United. However, Suraj Lawal equalized for the hosts deep into stoppage time, snatching a draw that Finidi’s men desperately needed.
Details of the Collapse
Rivers United initially took the lead through a well-executed play. Ubong Friday delivered a precise cross to an onrushing Biokpo, who slotted the ball past the Abia Warriors goalkeeper for his third goal in three games.
The equalizer, however, was conceded cheaply. Lawal was reportedly given excessive time and space in Rivers’ six-yard box to head in the goal. A victory in Umuahia would have temporarily lifted Rivers United to the top of the NPFL table, despite having played two fewer games than their rivals.
Finidi Condemns Mental Lapse
The late goal conceded mirrored a similar collapse the Port Harcourt side experienced two weeks ago in the CAF Champions League against RS Berkane. Finidi expressed deep frustration with his team’s recurring issue.
“It’s all about concentration,” Finidi stated after the draw. “What can be done? I don’t know, but we just have to keep working and get stronger mentally to be able to manage the games when the match is almost over.”
The coach emphasized that the failure was not physical but psychological. “It wasn’t a physical thing, it’s a mental thing, about managing games,” he said. He added that at that stage of the game, the responsibility falls on the players, not the coach. “When you have the ball like that, you have to defend. Kick the ball out but it’s quite unfortunate the time that goal came.”
Standings and Next Fixture
Following the Sunday result, Rivers United currently sits third in the NPFL table with 27 points from 14 matches. They are scheduled to face Plateau United in a rescheduled game on Thursday.
