Rivers United technical adviser Finidi George has criticised Enugu Rangers for their alleged time-wasting tactics following Sunday’s 1-1 draw between both sides in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 11 fixture in Port Harcourt.

Chijioke Mbaoma put Rivers United ahead in the 17th minute after capitalising on a defensive error at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, but Godwin Obaje restored parity for Rangers eight minutes into the second half.

Both teams pushed for a winning goal but failed to find a breakthrough as they shared the points.

Speaking after the match, Finidi accused Rangers players of deliberately slowing down the game, particularly towards the closing stages.

“They got a draw, and they should not complain,” Finidi said.

“You saw the way the players were falling as if they were not fit, but I wasn’t pleased with their time-wasting tactics.”

The result kept Rivers United and Rangers level on points at the top of the NPFL table, with the Port Harcourt side retaining first place on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Kano Pillars head coach Daniel Ogunmodede praised his players following their 2-0 win over Nasarawa United at the Sani Abacha Stadium.

Ibrahim Yahaya opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Fabian Nworie doubled the advantage in the 65th minute to secure maximum points for the hosts.

The victory extended Pillars’ unbeaten run to three matches and lifted them to fourth place with 18 points.

Ogunmodede acknowledged the pressure of playing in front of the club’s demanding supporters but described their high expectations as a positive influence on the team.

“Most of the time we play with so much pressure here. Obviously we want to win; our fans want us to win every game. We know what it means when we are leading 2-0, and they still want more. But for me that is the kind of hunger I want from the spectators, from the players. The good thing is that we are adapting gradually to it,” he said.

The coach also credited his tactical adjustments for the victory, explaining that his decision to deploy inverted wing-backs during the opening 20 minutes unsettled Nasarawa United’s full-backs and created spaces in central areas.

Pillars switched their approach after the break to exploit the wide areas, creating several opportunities but failing to extend their lead.

Ogunmodede described the result as important for the club’s league position, players’ confidence and supporters’ satisfaction. He also welcomed the clean sheet.

In another Matchday 11 fixture, Katsina United technical adviser Azeez Audu Mohammed praised his players after their 2-1 win over Sporting Lagos at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.

Luis Dadong scored twice in the 10th and 28th minutes to give the Chanji Boys a two-goal advantage before Aliyu Baba reduced the deficit for Sporting Lagos in the 65th minute.

Katsina United held on to claim all three points.

Mohammed said beating a quality opponent was more important than keeping a clean sheet, pointing to Sporting Lagos’ impressive away record.

“It’s not about a clean sheet. The important thing is that we won against a quality side. In 11 matches, they picked up 10 points away from home, so it’s not a small feat for us to beat them,” he told the NPFL media.

The Katsina United coach also commended his players for following instructions but admitted that their defensive organisation weakened in the second half.

“I think my boys did well, aside from conceding. We will continue working hard until we get it right,” he added.

“I think we didn’t defend well in the second half. We are going to talk to the defenders on how to do things right. Overall, they did well and played according to instructions because we faced a very good team. The plan was to stop them from playing, which we did.”

Katsina United will next travel to Ozoro to face Warri Wolves as they look to build on their Matchday 11 win.

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