Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
Rivers United rescued a dramatic late point against Akwa United on matchday 33 of the Nigeria Professional Football League NPFL played at the Adokiye Amaesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
Charles Atshimene’s second-half strike looked to have the visitors on course for a win; however, Bamba Bakary’s equalizer 3 minutes from full time snatched a point for the ‘Pride of Rivers’.
With the result, Akwa United still maintain their lead on the NPFL table with 61 points while Rivers United dropped to the 5th position with 56 points.
Speaking to newsmen after the game, the Technical Manager of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma described the result as unfortunate.
”It’s unfortunate. We prepared to win this game but unfortunately, we settled for 1-1. I thank God we did not lose the match because we had to come from behind to equalize that goal.”
“It was a difficult one and I think that we lost a lot of chances especially in the first half, we were very wasteful in front of the goal. In the second half too, even before we scored that goal, the player that scored that goal, Bamba had already missed three chances before then so it’s very unfortunate and I will say that today it ended that way, we accept the result and we will forge ahead in the league” he said.
The Port Harcourt based side will now turn their attention to Jigawa Golden Stars FC in matchday 34 of the Nigeria Professional Football League in Kaduna.
The team will then move to Abuja on Friday for an Aiteo Cup quarter-final clash before returning to Port Harcourt for a week 35 tie of NPFL against Ifeanyi Ubah United of Nnewi.
However, the Technical Manager of Rivers United Stanley Eguma has criticized the congested fixtures for the team as they prepare to play three matches within six days.
He, however, called on the League Management Company LMC, (the organizers of NPFL) and the NFF to shift some of the fixtures to enable the players to have some rest.
