Technical Adviser of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma has admitted that valuable lessons have been learnt by his team in this season’s CAF club competitions.
The Pride of Rivers reached the quarterfinals of this season’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for the first time in the club’s history, but crashed out after a 2-0 aggregate loss to Young Africans of Tanzania.
In a much more improved showing this term, Rivers United finished second in group B behind ASEC Mimosa, registering three wins, a draw, and two losses, amassing 10 points to record their best ever outing at this stage of the competition.
Speaking to the media, the gaffer revealed that the team has learnt some important lessons, while applauding their progress which has ensured that Nigeria retains her four slots in CAF club competitions next season.
“It’s disappointing to crash out of the competition, if we had a better game in the first leg it would have been a different situation in the reverse fixture, because the boys came out to play stronger in Dar es Salam, it is a big lesson for us but we are looking out for better performances in the nearest future. One good thing is that we were able to secure the four slots for Nigeria in the continent, because qualifying to the group phase and going beyond to the quarterfinal stage has secured Nigeria’s slots in the continent”.
“I want to thank His Excellency the financier of the club Barrister Nyesom Wike who has really stood behind us, supporting us in all aspects of our progress. I will also want to thank the Honourable Commissioner for Sports Barrister Christopher Green who is also a technocrat, who knows what it takes to succeed in the game of football and then the management led by Dr Okey Kpalukwu who has also been there working hard, round the clock to see that the team succeed. The technical crew and the players who are the main actors. I will not fail to thank our supporters who have always cheered us on. They are always there and provide the needed support”.
Rivers United are still competing on two fronts and will switch their attention to the Nigeria Premier Football League and also the Federation Cup, where they face Enyimba Int’l in a cracker on Thursday, April 4, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
