Barrister Chris Green who is one of the top officials in Rivers United’s board has revealed plans to strengthen the club with quality players from across Africa as the Garden city boys are preparing for next season’s CAF Champions League.
The recent report has it that the Nigerian Premier football League heavyweight club— Rivers United secured qualification for the 2026/27 continental competition after finishing second in the league behind champions Enugu Rangers.
On this note, the board official believes that the NPFL clubs can no longer compete effectively on the continent without recruiting top talent from other African countries, citing the continuous departure of the nation’s best players to Europe and Asia.
”The only way we can make our presence felt on the continent is to scout for quality players from Africa, since we cannot stop our players from leaving for greener pastures,” Green said. “To be frank, our league lacks the quality to dominate Africa again. With the rate at which players are leaving, it will be difficult to make an impact unless we find a way to retain our best talents.”
According to Chris Green, to challenge for the title, the club’s offseason strategy involves targeting at least 10 foreign African signings to boost squad depth. The Pride of Rivers management will also conduct a rigorous overhaul of underperforming players while actively integrating standout talent from the club’s feeder youth teams.
Green also made it clear that despite the fact that they want to get players outside the country to restructure the team before the new season, paths will remain open for homegrown starlets. “We have talents, but the challenge is keeping them together long enough to develop into a team capable of conquering Africa,” he concluded.
Rivers United Plan Major Recruitment Drive for CAFCL
