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Finidi Backs Rivers United for Title Push Despite Striker Shortage

Posted : 21 July 2026

Rivers United Technical Adviser, Finidi George, has expressed confidence that his side can challenge for the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title despite admitting that recruiting quality strikers has become increasingly difficult.

The former Super Eagles head coach said the Port Harcourt club had strengthened key areas of the squad ahead of the new season and was determined to improve on last season's second-place finish.

Rivers United narrowly missed out on the NPFL title last season, finishing one point behind champions Rangers International on the final day of the campaign.

"If you look at every department, I think it's quite better than last season.

"So we are very, very optimistic about doing better than last season. I always say second place is not bad, but a team like Rivers United is always aspiring to win the league, so we'll push for the league this time around," Finidi said.

However, the Rivers United coach acknowledged that finding reliable goalscorers has become a major challenge, as many of the NPFL's top strikers leave for better-paying clubs in other African leagues.

"Searching for strikers is quite difficult in Africa. One of the highest goalscorers last season is already in Tanzania, where they pay him better because of the 14 or 15 goals he scored.

"So we wanted to get those strikers, but they are going somewhere else because other countries are also looking for strikers," he said.

Finidi noted that the steady departure of prolific forwards has reduced the pool of quality attacking options available to NPFL clubs.

Despite the setback, he maintained that Rivers United remained focused on mounting another strong title challenge while also seeking an improved outing in the CAF Champions League after exiting at the group stage last season. The club will be aiming to build on last season's impressive domestic campaign as it targets success both in the NPFL and on the continental stage.

 

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