Desmond Iwuchukwu
Rivers United suffered a frustrating outing at the Adokiye Amaesimaka Stadium when visiting Sunshine Stars of Akure held them to a goalless draw at the matchday four of the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Sunshine Stars perfected their game plan of cutting-off Rivers United’s wingers to secure a precious point in Port Harcourt.
Sunshine Stars FC Coach Ayodeji Ayeni said the determination of the players was responsible for the outcome of the game.
He said the sheer determination of the team to get a point in the game was the motivation for the tactical approach they adopted during the match.
”I told the pressmen that there is no invincible team and there is nobody that is not beatable. It’s all depends on the readiness of the players, it all depends on the tactical approach of the game, it all depends on the confidence you instill into the players and the discipline.
”And I told them that Rangers came to our backyard and got a draw and they lose at home to Enyimba, so there is nothing impossible in football. What we just did was to put our heads on the ground and be disciplined with the ball. You can see the result of the game today, it’s all about the tactical approach that got us the result” he said.
In his comment, the Chief Coach of Rivers United FC Fatai Osho attributed the defensive approach of Sunshine Stars to the outcome of the game.
He said Rivers United dominated the game but could not penetrate the defense of their opponents.
Meanwhile, Rivers United is currently second on the NPFL log with eight points after four matches while Sunshine Stars are sitting on the bottom table with two points from three games.
Rivers United will next face Niger Tornadoes at matchday five of NPFL on Sunday, 9th January 2022.
