Boluwatife Kehinde
Rivers United’s 3–0 defeat to Pyramids FC in their CAF Champions League group opener has been attributed to lapses in concentration and costly errors in the second half, according to head coach Finidi George.
After enduring a tough opening 45 minutes at the June Stadium in Cairo, Egyptian forward Ahmed Atef El did not hesitate to celebrate as he secured a brilliant hat-trick.
The match, played at the June Stadium in Cairo, saw Egyptian forward Ahmed Atef El deliver a stunning hat-trick after a goalless but hard-fought first half.
Atef broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, doubled the lead five minutes later, and completed his treble midway through the half, giving Pyramids a commanding start to their title defence and leaving Rivers United at the bottom of the group standings.
Finidi acknowledged Pyramids’ quality but stressed that his team played a major role in their own downfall through avoidable mistakes, especially at decisive moments.
“We know we faced a very good team; that was clear,” Finidi said. “But the goals came from our own errors, even from the first half. We have to learn from this and be ready for the full match next week.”
He added that the swing in performance between both halves came down to concentration.
“The difference between the first and second half was simply focus. That big mistake changed the course of the match. Without it, the game could have gone on much longer, and anything might have happened,” Finidi noted.
“We had one or two opportunities, but the final ball let us down. We ended the first half at 0–0, and I think we did well. But in the second half, their first goal came from a major error on our part. Against a team like this, once they got the second and third goals, we knew it was over”
Findi emphasised that mental readiness is a key area of improvement as they to turn their attention to their next challenge
“We’ll review this game and assess our chances moving forward. Every match is different. This one is gone. Now we must prepare the players mentally, not just physically, for the match ahead.”
Rivers United will look to bounce back when they host Moroccan champions RS Berkane on Friday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
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