Rivers United delivered their most emphatic performance of the season with a commanding home win over El Kanemi Warriors on a wet Wednesday night in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
Goals from Wisdom Samuel and Chijioke Mbaoma ensured the Port Harcourt side claimed maximum points in the rescheduled Round 23 fixture.
Rivers United overpower El Kanemi Warriors in NPFL clash
Playing at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Rivers United set the tone early despite the rain-soaked conditions.
The hosts showed intent from kickoff, pressing high and moving the ball quickly across the slick surface.
Samuel, handed a rare start after months of limited action, justified the decision within nine minutes.
The winger, who joined from Heartland FC, fired home to give Rivers United an early lead. It was his first league goal for the club.
The breakthrough lifted the confidence of the home side, who had often relied on narrow 1-0 victories in recent weeks. Against El Kanemi Warriors, they looked sharper and more decisive in the final third.
Samuel and Mbaoma find form as United return to the summit
While Samuel opened the scoring, Chijioke Mbaoma also had a point to prove. The former NPFL top scorer, who arrived as a free agent after leaving Al Ittihad SC, had struggled to find rhythm in front of goal.
He doubled Rivers United’s advantage from the penalty spot, calmly converting to put the result beyond doubt. The goal will ease pressure on the forward as the title race intensifies.
Samuel was not done yet. He added a second on the night with a superb strike to seal a comprehensive 3-0 victory — the club’s biggest league win this season.
It marked a welcome shift from the string of tight scorelines that had defined much of their campaign.
Beyond the scoreline, the result extended Rivers United’s unbeaten run against El Kanemi Warriors to six matches.
More importantly, the win lifted them back to the top of the NPFL table, two points clear of Enugu Rangers with two games in hand.
Attention now turns to a crucial South-South derby against Bendel Insurance on Sunday.
With the NPFL title race gathering momentum, Rivers United know consistency will be key in the decisive weeks ahead.