Finidi Laments as Rivers Utd Lose 2–1 Lead to RS Berkane

Rivers United suffered a gutting 2–1 home defeat to Morocco’s RS Berkane in their CAF Champions League Group A fixture at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The hosts appeared poised for a morale-boosting win after taking the lead in the 37th minute  but two late goals in stoppage time turned heartbreak into despair.

The advantage came when Berkane defender Mamadou Lamine Camara inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure, giving Rivers United a 1–0 lead at half-time.

For much of the second half, Rivers appeared to manage the game well defending stoutly, controlling tempo, and resisting Berkane’s pressure.

But in the 90+7th minute, Youness El Kaabi struck to draw level. Barely a minute later, Mounir Chouiar completed the dramatic turnaround, handing Berkane the win and leaving the Rivers faithful in shock.

In the aftermath, Finidi George visibly distraught  described the result as “devastating,” insisting his players deserved more than what the final scoreline suggested.

For Rivers United, the defeat compounds a precarious start to the campaign two matches played, two losses, and the daunting task of reviving their continental ambitions under mounting pressure.

Editorial

There are football nights that promise comfort steady control, disciplined defending, an own goal for luck but end in horror. Rivers United’s collapse against RS Berkane was one such night a canvas painted with hope, but destroyed by two brush-strokes of chaos in injury time.

When the own goal gave Rivers a lead before the break, the atmosphere in Uyo must have felt optimistic if not celebratory. For many, the win seemed near, the first taste of continental glory on home soil. And through long spells, Rivers defended with structure, composure, and purpose. But football, as often happens, refuses to reward caution over madness when death-blows are reserved for later minutes.

Two goals in as many minutes of added time dramatic, devastating. It is the cruelty of the sport discipline, effort, control but still punished. For a coach like Finidi George, the words “deserving more” will echo long after the stadium clears: because in football’s ledger, intent counts for nothing  only the ball crossing the line does.

And that is what makes this collapse more than just a bad result. It is a test of character. For Rivers, for coach, for supporters the question is whether this night becomes a warning or a wound. Because the Champions League does not wait for healing it punishes hesitance, thrives on ruthlessness. A lead is never safe. A point is never guaranteed.

If Rivers United are to survive this Group A storm, they will need to rediscover composure not only in defence, but in mindset. They must learn that matches are won in the mind long before the whistle blows with steel, calm, and a readiness for misfortune. Because in African football, as in life, fate rarely waits.

Did You Know?

1. RS Berkane have built a reputation in recent years for dramatic late-game comebacks, making them one of Africa’s most feared teams when matches stretch into added time.
2. The own goal by Mamadou Lamine Camara was actually Rivers United’s first lead in the 2025/26 CAF Champions League the club had opened their campaign with a heavy defeat against Pyramids FC of Egypt.
3. This match was played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo  marking one of the rare times in recent years that a Nigerian home-crowd saw their side snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in stoppage time.
4. After this loss, Rivers United sit bottom of Group A with zero points from two games meaning qualification now demands maximum results in remaining fixtures, starting with a crucial trip to face Power Dynamos of Zambia in January 2026.
5. Observers say the collapse exposed more than tactical fragility: issues surrounding concentration, late-game mental fatigue, and experience under pressure all factors Rivers must address if they hope to progress.