Head coach Finidi George has reacted to Rivers United F.C.’s narrow defeat to Shooting Stars Sports Club, admitting his side were punished for failing to deal with a late ball during their clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium.
League leaders Rivers United suffered a dramatic 2–1 loss to Shooting Stars in a rescheduled Matchday 24 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League on Thursday night in Ibadan.
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The hosts took the lead in the 34th minute when Sodiq Ibrahim headed home from Ayobami Junior’s delivery.
Rivers United fought back after the break and levelled in the 69th minute through Wasiu Falolu.
However, Shooting Stars sealed victory in stoppage time as Qamar Adegoke struck in the 90+1st minute to hand the Oluyole Warriors all three points and dent Rivers United’s title momentum.
Reacting after the match, Finidi said the decisive moment came from his team’s inability to clear a late ball into the box.
“At that point the game was drawn. They had their free kick and unfortunately we couldn’t deal with it. That’s football. If we had dealt with the ball while it was in the air, that chance wouldn’t have fallen for them,” Finidi said.
“Sometimes in the last part of the game you just have to concentrate a little bit more and see how you can deal with those long balls. We couldn’t deal with the last ball and we got punished.”
Title Race Still Open
Despite the setback, the former Super Eagles winger insisted his team remains in a strong position in the title race, noting that Rivers United still hold a narrow lead at the top of the table.
“I can’t assure anybody anything. We all started the league together with other teams. If we are two points ahead at this point in time, it’s based on merit,” he added.
“We still have an outstanding match and about eight games left. We will continue working with the players and see where we are at the end.”
Finidi also expressed confidence in his squad’s mentality, explaining that the players are experienced enough to recover quickly from the defeat.
“They are used to it. We have played in the Champions League before where you lose and come back to play in the league again. We just have to encourage them and let them rest properly before the next match.”
The defeat leaves Rivers United on 52 points from 28 matches but still at the summit of the NPFL table, while Shooting Stars move up to sixth place with 44 points after 29 games, intensifying the race for continental spots and the league title.
