NPFL: Rivers United To Replace Departing Players In Preparation For CAF Champions League

Eguma is the longest-serving manager in the league and just won his first league title with Rivers United

Stanley Eguma was in Ibadan last Sunday during Rivers United’s 3-2 slim loss to Shooting Stars in a game that was played behind closed doors.

Lucky Emmanuel, Opeyemi Olufemi, and Moses Omoduemuke scored for the Oluyole Warriors, while Chijioke Akuneto netted a brace for Rivers United.

Although Rivers United had nothing to lose, they still gave Shooting Stars a run for their money for the entire 90 minutes of play.

Eguma, one of the longest-serving coaches in the NPFL, had some pleasurable moments after the game as fans hailed him with words like, “Longest Coach and Sabi manager.”

After the game, Eguma said in an interview on issues related to representing Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next season.

Eguma spoke about the departure of hot-shot Ishaq Kayode and how they are planning for a replacement. He also revealed the progress level of the NPFL’s highest goalscorer Chijioke Akuneto and the availability of Sikiru Olatunbosun and Theophilus Afelokhai for the squad ahead of their continental assignment.

Recall that Kayode, who has scored 14 goals this season, is expected to join a club in Europe after his groundbreaking performance in the first leg of the NPFL season.

Eguma said that it’s an honour for him as a coach to help with Kayode’s development.

“The team made Kayode, so we can as well make other Kayode for the continent next season,” Eguma reiterated. “It’s our duty as coaches to ensure and get the talent to get them into the team. Kayode is going. It’s a good thing and credit to me as a coach that I’m able to develop him to a level that other clubs can appreciate him.

“He is also creating the space for other young talented players to cover. I think it’s not a problem for us. We will always look out for those that can fit into the spaces he is going to create and see how we can build them up.”

About the NPFL’s highest goalscorer, Chijioke Akuneto, Eguma said that an eye for goals helped the midfielder succeed this season. Akuneto has scored 17 goals so far this season to stay ahead of Abdulazeez Yusuf and Victor Mbaoma who have 16 goals each.

“Chijioke Akuneto, before he came to the team, I saw the talent in him as a player who has the eyes for goals. I kept encouraging him. Even when Kayode was scoring, I believed in him he can still score goals. Kayode is doing it, you can do it. You have all it takes to do it. He was working all through till he finally got the goals. And goal-scoring became part of it.”

About the futures of Sikiru Olatunbosun and ageless goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai, Eguma revealed that Rivers United ties the availability of those players to their contracts.

“They have a contract with the team now and I don’t know the terms of that contract. If the contract continues or is renewed, I think they will continue with the team or it depends on what their contract is talking about and what the player’s ambition is.

Some of them want to play in Europe. If their contract is over, you can’t stop them. But if their contract is still running, you will have them next season.”

He stressed that the season has been a successful one for them.

“Well, you can assess us yourself. This year is a successful season because we have done so well. We won the league before the end of the season-getting a lot of goals. The goal advantage we have is more than any other team.”

Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next season and Eguma assured that Rivers United will break the jinx NPFL champions have always been facing in the Continent.

“Yeah, we have been there in the past. We know what it takes. We have also tasted crashing out in the past, so it is on us now to work hard to ensure that the experience we have had in the past will play a big role for us to come against all odds and obstacles.

“Now that the league is ending, there will be more time before the continental assignment starts, so we will go to the drawing board to work towards our success,” Eguma concluded.