BY OUR CORRESPONDENT IN LAFIA
FINIDI GEORGE’S title dreams are in “freefall” after his table-topping Rivers United were ruthlessly dismantled in a 4-1 shellacking by a rampant Nasarawa United.
In what was billed as a tactical chess match at the Lafia Township Stadium, Nasarawa turned it into a demolition derby. The “Solid Miners” struck three times in a breathless opening 25 minutes, leaving the Port Harcourt side—and their legendary Super Eagles gaffer—looking completely shell-shocked.
The headlines belonged to the home side’s attacking quartet, but none shone brighter than Victor Collins. The Nasarawa talisman was the architect of the chaos, orchestrating a high-press system that caught the Rivers backline flat-footed.
With four different scorers on the day, Nasarawa displayed the kind of clinical edge that has suddenly catapulted them into the conversation for continental qualification. While Anas Yusuf—the league’s current Golden Boot frontrunner—remains the name on everyone’s lips this season, it was the collective “star power” of the Nasarawa midfield that choked the life out of the visitors.
For Rivers United, the result is nothing short of a disaster. Despite boasting stars like the evergreen Ahmed Musa, who has been in vintage form this term, the visitors looked a shadow of the team that has dominated the NPFL for most of the campaign.
A late consolation goal did little to mask the cracks. Finidi George, seeking his first league title as a manager, has now seen his side ship eight goals in four games. The defeat officially knocks Rivers off their perch, with Enugu Rangers leapfrogging them into the top spot.
