Rivers United Coach Reveals Why Algerian Club Knocked Them Out Of Confed Cup

Rivers United coach, Stanley Eguma, believes that his team failed to progress in the CAF Confederation Cup because of their performance in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Recall that Rivers United hosted Algerian club, USM Alger in the first leg in Uyo, and the game ended in a 1-0 win for the former Nigeria Premier Football League club.

Rivers United took the slim lead to Algeria for the return leg. They were expected to beat USM Alger or draw with them, but they ended up losing 2-0 to the Algerian club.

The 2-0 away win ended Rivers United’s journey 2-1 on aggregate, which means that no NPFL club remains on the continent.

“I think we lost this game in Nigeria where we had a lot of chances and we couldn’t convert. Despite losing 2-0 here, everyone who watched this game would understand that we had our moments still, if we had converted one, it could have made a lot of difference. If we had taken our chances, they would have been under pressure,” coach Eguma told a press conference.

“I thank my players too because it’s not easy to play against the champions and they too must have known that Rivers United are not pushovers. We hope to bounce back next season.”

The coach added, “USM Alger are a good team but there are also many others still in the competition. They can win it again if they put their heart to it and I think they still have what it takes.”