Finidi George hails United players for keeping Champions League hope alive despite ‘defending too deep’

Former Super Eagles coach Finidi George has lauded his Rivers United players for their defensive resilience, which secured a crucial goalless draw against FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie.

As reported by Pulse Sports, United were forced to grind out a share of the spoils on the road in a tense CAFCL clash on Saturday.

Speaking after the match at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, George admitted his team was forced to defend deeper than he would have liked, but praised their commitment to securing the result. 

"It's a very good result for us. It was a difficult match; we had to defend, especially in the second half, a little too deep, but I felt my players were looking at not losing the game, so they defended a little too deep," George said.

The draw extends Rivers United's impressive run of form, marking their fourth consecutive clean sheet across all competitions. 

This defensive solidity was on full display as the Pride of Rivers absorbed relentless pressure from the home side, holding firm against numerous attacks to keep their Champions League aspirations alive.

Despite the defensive display, George acknowledged the team's offensive ambition. "They also pushed in the second half to see how they could get a goal. I think we did a good job by defending very well."

When asked if a goalless result was a good outcome, George was unequivocal. "Yes! So long as you don't lose the match, as a coach, you will be happy.” 

“It's not the result we expected; we wanted to come here to see if we could score a goal. But yeah! We are happy we didn't lose, and next week, we will see how we'll strategise and see how we can win."

The second leg is scheduled for Sunday, September 28, with Rivers United hosting at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, where they will look to leverage their home advantage to secure a place in the next round.