After Rivers United announced Former Super Eagles Gaffer Finidi George as their their new technical Manager the Port Harcourt born Tactician was on Thursday unveiled as head coach of Port harcourt based Nigerian Premier Football League, (NPFL) side, Rivers United. The former Ajax winger is back in the dugout few weeks after he resigned from his post as Super Eagles head coach.
Even though it appeared to be a rough time for the 53-year-old, the 2021-22 champions, in a statement on their X handle on Wednesday, showed hope about having the former Eagles international leading the team.
The event happened at Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt on Thursday, July 4th, at the Sharks Stadium, signifying a return for Finidi, who started his pro career at the club when it was known as Sharks FC.
“I am thrilled to be here,” Finidi George said at the unveiling. “This is where I grew up. I left this place as a footballer, and I’m back as a coach. Rivers United is a big team, and seeing the results last season inspired me to come back and contribute.”
There are chapters you have to close, and new ones have to emerge,” he stated. “The target for a big team like Rivers is all about winning. We all want results, but we have to work towards it.” He noted.
His primary objective is to secure a continental spot for the club next season. “I’m not here for fun,” he asserted. “We will try our best.” He continued
Rivers United sacked long-serving tactician Stanley Eguma towards the end of last season due to poor results.
The Port Harcourt club finished in disappointing eighth position in the NPFL last season.
Finidi previously worked in the NPFL with nine-time champions Enyimba.
Remember that Finidi stepped down as the Super Eagles’ head coach in June after overseeing just two official matches. He guided the team to a 1-1 draw at home against South Africa in the initial match and a 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic in the subsequent game. These outcomes led to Nigeria finishing fifth in the qualifying group, following draws with Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
