Rivers United head coach Finidi George has pointed to poor attitude and a slow start as key reasons behind his side’s latest setback in the CAF Champions League, following a narrow 1-0 loss to Zambia’s Power Dynamos in Uyo.
The defeat leaves Rivers United bottom of Group A after four matches, still without a win in the competition, and under growing pressure heading into their final two group games.
Finidi admitted his team failed to set the tone early in a match they needed to control.
“I feel we started the game slowly. The game that we wanted to win, we started slowly.
I think we were passing the ball too much at the back, and that gave them more time to organise properly.”
Power Dynamos took advantage shortly after the break, with Kondwani Chiboni scoring the only goal of the game five minutes into the second half.
Rivers United responded with more urgency but were left frustrated in front of goal.
“I think in the second half after that goal, we came all out trying to see how we could get an equaliser. We created a lot of chances, but we couldn’t score.”
Despite creating clear openings, Finidi felt luck was not on his side.
“I thought in the second half we had a couple of chances to have scored even two goals or three, but it didn’t happen. That’s football; you just have to congratulate the opponent on how they defended and the lucky goal they scored.”
The Rivers United boss also expressed disappointment at the manner of the goal conceded.
“We conceded from just a pull-out. It’s not acceptable in football, but it was quite unlucky for us.”
Looking ahead, Finidi stressed that mentality, especially early in matches, must improve if Rivers United are to finish the campaign with pride.
“We still have to continue and change our attitude, especially in the first half.
In a game like this you have to be very aggressive in the first 20 minutes, which I felt we were a bit passive.”
While qualification now looks unlikely, Finidi insists his players must keep pushing.
“We definitely want to get our first victory as well. We know we’re going to play against the top two teams in the last two games, but all is possible in football.”
Beyond the immediate results, the former Nigeria international believes the CAF Champions League campaign has exposed deeper issues, particularly in experience and attacking output.
“It’s a general thing. In the league, the top scorers end up with maybe 10 goals.”
He added that improvement goes beyond the training pitch.
“It’s not about training. It’s about mindset and the conviction to score goals. We will try to work with what we have.”
Despite the frustration, Finidi ruled out turning on his squad.
“I think we have to encourage them because these are the same players that we’ll use. If we condemn them at this point in time, the season will be very difficult for everybody.”
Rivers United will next face holders Pyramids FC of Egypt, as Finidi looks for a response that shows growth, belief, and character in the closing stages of their CAF Champions League journey.