Interim coach of Rivers United, Evans Ogenyi, has urged his players to increase their efforts to secure a respectable league finish following their emphatic 4-1 victory over Sporting Lagos. Ogenyi emphasized the importance of maintaining focus in the Nigerian Premier League, where no team is a pushover, and highlighted the Federation Cup as a crucial opportunity for the team to return to continental competition.
“The match was thrilling, and we know that every team in the Nigerian Premier League is tough. We have three home matches left, and we’ve told our players that we need to finish in a respectable position,” Ogenyi said. “In the reverse fixture, we lost 1-0 in Lagos and dropped points in four replayed matches. We were determined to win convincingly this time.”
Ogenyi also outlined the team’s strategy for the Federation Cup. “The FA Cup is another route to the continent. If you look at the math, we have four matches to the finals. We play Sunshine Stars in Abuja on Wednesday. Winning that match puts us in the quarterfinals, then the semifinals, and eventually the finals. The FA Cup is the shortest path to the continent, with just six or seven matches to secure our place.”
