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Rivers United's coach, Finidi George, has motivated his players as the Port Harcourt-based team kicks off preparations for the 2025/26 season.
The 2022 Nigeria Premier Football League champions started their training on Monday to gear up for both their domestic league and CAF Champions League matches.
According to updates from the club, 25 players participated in the initial training session held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.
"Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt has officially begun preparations for the new season, marking a crucial move towards building on their impressive 2024/2025 campaign," the club stated.
While the team is anticipated to announce new signings, Finidi has already started working diligently with returning players in preparation for the upcoming season.
"I welcome you back from your offseason break. Now it’s time to prepare ourselves well in advance for the challenges ahead. Welcome back," the coach expressed in the club's statement.
In his debut season at the helm of Rivers United, Finidi guided the squad to a second-place finish last season, ending with 64 points over 38 matches, just seven points behind the leaders, Remo Stars, which was sufficient to earn them a place in the CAF Champions League preliminary round.
"We will reflect on last season and appreciate our achievements. It wasn't a bad season based on our performance, and this analysis will help us next year. We will identify our shortcomings compared to Remo, who deserve recognition for their performance.
We're satisfied with our season's conclusion, but we'll return stronger next season," Finidi reflected following the end of the last campaign.
Finidi, who led Enyimba to their ninth NPFL title in 2023, joined Rivers United at the beginning of the previous season after a brief period as the head coach of the Super Eagles.
The 2025/26 NPFL season is set to commence on August 22, with the draw for the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League also on the horizon.
