Rivers United head coach Finidi George has expressed immense joy after guiding the Pride of Rivers to their first-ever CAF Champions League group stage appearance.

Speaking to journalists after their 3-1 victory over Black Bulls of Mozambique in Uyo on Saturday, Finidi described the qualification as “a special moment” — both for the club and for himself. The result secured a 3-2 aggregate win, marking Nigeria’s first appearance in the group stage of the competition in six years.

“I’m very happy with the victory and the tough fight the boys put up,” Finidi said. “To have qualified means a lot to everyone here. We’ve been waiting for this moment, and now it’s reality. Personally, it’s a big achievement, but the focus now shifts to competing strongly in the group stages.”

The former Super Eagles winger, who took over as Rivers United coach last season, commended his players’ resilience after their 1-0 first-leg loss in Mozambique.

“We created several chances in the first leg and could have scored there, but it didn’t happen. Thankfully, we took our chances at home and fully deserved this qualification,” he added.

Rivers United began the return leg on the front foot, dominating possession and pressing high. Wasiu Falolu broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, pouncing on a rebound to make it 1-0, before Maclyn Biokpo doubled the lead from the penalty spot just before halftime.

Though the visitors reduced the deficit through Moctar Diallo early in the second half, Timothy Zachariah’s stunning strike in the 78th minute sealed the win — and a historic qualification — for the Nigerian side.

Finidi Targets Stronger Squad as Rivers United Prepare for CAF Champions League Group Stage

Rivers United head coach Finidi George says the club’s focus is now on strengthening the team to compete effectively against Africa’s elite in the CAF Champions League group stage.

Finidi, who previously led Enyimba to continental success, noted that while the qualification marks a major milestone, the real challenge lies ahead.

“We’ll wait for the draws and take each game as it comes,” he said. “We know how tough this competition can be, so we’ll look to bring in one or two quality additions to the squad. For now, we’ll celebrate this achievement and then prepare for the tasks ahead.”

With this qualification, Rivers United have become the first Nigerian club to reach the CAF Champions League group stage since Lobi Stars achieved the feat in the 2018–2019 season.

The team will now shift focus back to NPFL duties, hosting Ikorodu City FC in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, before upcoming clashes against Bendel Insurance and Barau FC.