Rivers United sit second in the NPFL and remain unbeaten, but Finidi George says the title will be won or lost in Port Harcourt after last season’s near miss.
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Finidi’s home ground target
Rivers United boss Finidi George has set his players a clear target for the new NPFL season: win every home game. The Port Harcourt club are second in the table and unbeaten, and they travel to Abia Warriors for Matchday 8 this weekend. FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports that the coach sees home form as the route to a second league crown.
Rivers United came close to lifting the title last season but missed out narrowly to Rangers. Finidi knows exactly where it slipped away. A home defeat to Bayelsa United hurt, and a few other draws in Port Harcourt added to the damage.
“The focus this season is to win all our home games,” Finidi told the club’s media. He admitted nobody can say whether it will actually happen, but promised the squad would give it a go.
At the end of last season, he said, the team was left chasing a single point. This time he believes every home fixture is winnable, and he wants the football to be good while they win.
An unbeaten start with company
Rivers United have started the campaign strongly and remain unbeaten. Kano Pillars are the only other side yet to taste defeat. It is early days, but the start suits Finidi’s plan.
Their latest outing was a goalless draw with Ranchers Bees on Matchday 6, a result Finidi called a good point. He said the first half belonged to the opposition and his side came out better after the break. The team then turned to a rescheduled fixture away to Katsina United.
With a genuine title race shaping up, NPFL fans looking to back the Port Harcourt side can check the latest Bet9ja promo code before the weekend.
Abia Warriors up next
Rivers United visit Abia Warriors on Sunday, October 11, with kick-off at 4pm. It is a Matchday 8 fixture and a proper examination of an unbeaten run. Finidi has already spoken about how hard it is to collect points on the road in the NPFL.
That is why the home target matters so much. If away points are scarce, dropping them in Port Harcourt is the costliest mistake a contender can make. Rivers United found that out the hard way last term.
New bettors eyeing the weekend’s NPFL fixtures can read up on the latest Bet9ja promotion code before placing a first wager.
Can the home plan hold?
Winning every home game across a full NPFL campaign is rare, and Finidi says as much himself. So is the target realistic, or just a way to keep minds sharp? Either way, setting the bar that high shows how much last season still stings.
The plan gives the squad a simple message to follow. Take care of Port Harcourt, and the table will look after itself.
NPFL followers who fancy testing their forecasting can try the Super9ja ₦10M prediction game alongside this weekend’s fixtures.
Sunday’s trip to Abia Warriors will show whether Rivers United can protect their unbeaten start before returning home to put Finidi’s target into practice.
📌 Did You Know?
- Finidi George is a former Super Eagles winger and has also coached the Nigeria national team.
- Home advantage has been his theme for a while. Before a CAF Champions League return leg against Power Dynamos in February 2026, he said his side was stronger at home.
- Rivers United’s 2026 CAF Champions League group stage began with defeats to Pyramids and RS Berkane, followed by a goalless draw away to Power Dynamos in Ndola.
- Finidi was shown a red card during a chaotic draw in December 2024 that denied Rivers United the chance to finish the year top of the NPFL.
- Rivers United were scheduled to face Katsina United in a rescheduled fixture at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium on Wednesday.
- Kano Pillars, the other unbeaten side, were due to play Shooting Stars on Wednesday, where they were chasing a first away point in nine years.
