Rivers United head coach Finidi George has sounded a note of caution ahead of his team’s CAF Champions League Group A meeting with Power Dynamos of Zambia, describing the encounter as a “tough duel” as they chase their first win in the group stage.
The Group A fixture takes place at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday, with Rivers United currently seeking to improve on their earlier results against Pyramids FC and RS Berkane.
Finidi said his side respect the Zambian champions and expect an “interesting encounter,” stressing that any team reaching this stage of African club football has quality and cannot be underestimated.
Rivers United Nigeria’s representative in the CAF Champions League have yet to secure a point in their group, and the trip to Zambia represents a vital opportunity as they aim to keep their continental hopes alive. The other group game sees Pyramids and RS Berkane face off, with both sides also looking to strengthen their own progression prospects.
EDITORIAL
When a coach speaks of a “tough duel” in the context of Africa’s premier club competition, it is seldom mere boilerplate. These are words shaped by experience an appreciation for the tiered demands of continental football, where strategy meets stamina and familiarity dissolves in unfamiliar stadiums.
For Finidi George, a coach whose own career arcs back through the rigours of international competition, this fixture against Power Dynamos in Zambia is not merely another date on the calendar. It is an inflection point in Rivers United’s Champions League story a moment where expectation collides with reality. The Zambian side, champions in their own right, carry with them both home advantage and the rugged resilience that often defines teams outside Africa’s traditional power bases.
Finidi’s caution reflects a broader truth about the CAF Champions League: continental football is not a narrative dictated solely by reputation, but by adaptability how a team reads the conditions, how it rises to the occasion when familiarity evaporates and the stakes escalate. In Ndola, Rivers United will confront not only an opponent but the psychological grind of competition where opportunities to claim momentum are fleeting and precious.
Yet there is a dignity in such challenges. A club’s worth is not measured solely by easy victories but by its response to adversity. In acknowledging the difficulty of the task before them, Finidi underscores a readiness not of resignation, but of respect for the game in all its unpredictability. And in this, the essence of African club football where every match can redefine a campaign is both affirmed and celebrated.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Rivers United are competing in Group A of the CAF Champions League, having been drawn alongside Pyramids FC (Egypt), RS Berkane (Morocco) and Power Dynamos (Zambia).
- Power Dynamos play their CAF Champions League home matches at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, a venue known for its passionate fan base.
- Power Dynamos were runners-up in the 2024–25 Zambia Super League, earning their place in Africa’s elite club competition.
- Rivers United are the first Nigerian club to reach the CAF Champions League group stage since 2019, when Lobi Stars featured in the competition.
- In their opening group match, Power Dynamos were beaten 1-0 by Pyramids FC in Ndola, leaving both teams eager to secure points in subsequent fixtures.
