ABA, Nigeria — Rivers United technical manager Finidi George has expressed satisfaction with his team’s unbeaten start to the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season while warning that fixture congestion is creating physical challenges for his squad.
Finidi spoke after Rivers United played out a goalless draw against Abia Warriors in their Matchday Eight encounter at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba on Sunday, October 11.
The result extended Rivers United’s unbeaten league run to eight matches, leaving the Port Harcourt club second in the standings with 16 points, one behind leaders Rangers International.
According to reports from the post-match press conference, Finidi praised his players for their resilience, particularly their defensive performances on the road.
“I’m quite happy with the way we’ve handled most of our away matches so far,” he said.
The former Super Eagles coach also acknowledged that the team had worked hard to maintain its league record despite an early exit from the CAF Champions League.
Fixture Congestion Raises Concerns
Despite his satisfaction with the results, Finidi admitted that the growing number of matches was putting pressure on his players, especially those in defence.
The coach now faces the challenge of managing his squad’s workload while maintaining the consistency that has kept Rivers United among the league’s leading teams.
He indicated that the club would need to be careful with its defenders and consider alternative players capable of maintaining the team’s defensive standards.
The concern comes as Nigerian league clubs navigate demanding schedules, with short recovery periods potentially affecting players’ fitness and performance.
Rivers United Miss Chance To Win In Aba
Rivers United entered Sunday’s match hoping to secure all three points, but Abia Warriors proved difficult to break down on their home ground.
The visitors created promising opportunities during the match, including efforts from Shola Oladunjoye and Samson Olasupo, but goalkeeper Ali Ishaku made important saves to keep the hosts in the contest.
Samuel Bassey also produced a dangerous cut-back that the home defence cleared, while Olasupo later headed narrowly over the crossbar after the interval.
Rivers United goalkeeper Clinton Andy also made a key save to preserve the clean sheet.
Despite controlling portions of the encounter, the visitors could not find the breakthrough and had to settle for a point.
Finidi described his side’s second-half performance as inconsistent, while acknowledging the difficulty of earning points away from home.
Every Point Could Matter
Rivers United finished second in the previous NPFL season, narrowly missing out on the title. Finidi has therefore stressed the importance of collecting points consistently, particularly during away fixtures.
With the team still unbeaten after eight league matches, the manager will be looking to maintain that momentum while managing the physical demands on his players.
Rivers United’s next fixtures will test both their squad depth and ability to sustain their early-season form as the race for the NPFL title develops.
