Rivers United are reportedly preparing to strengthen their squad with one or two additional players before their first match in the CAF Champions League 2025–26 group stage.

Coach Finidi George confirmed that the club will consider registering fresh players, leveraging competition regulations that allow teams to add new names for the group phase. "We’ve been searching for good players, because we know how difficult this tournament is. So, we’re thinking of adding one or two extra players to the squad." he explained.

Rivers United have been drawn in Group A of the Champions League alongside Pyramids FC (Egypt), RC Berkane (Morocco) and Power Dynamos (Zambia). The club qualified for the group stage of the competition this year, ending Nigeria’s seven-year absence from that phase since the berth by Lobi Stars in 2018/19.

Editorial

When a club like Rivers United announces plans to inject new talent ahead of Africa’s toughest club competition, it reveals more than transfer ambition it reveals conviction. This isn’t mere lip service. It’s a message we’re not here to participate we’re here to compete.

Coach Finidi George’s statement is layered. On one level it addresses squad depth inevitable in continental competition where the grind is relentless. On another, it speaks to timing. The registration window for fresh players before the group stage offers a strategic opportunity. Rivers United appear attuned to it.

For Nigerian club football this moment carries significant texture. Rivers United’s qualification for the Champions League group stage alone marked a resurgence for the Nigeria Premier Football League on the continental stage. Now, the decision to strengthen reflects the realisation that reaching is only the first step succeeding is the next.

But acquiring players is easier than integrating them. The real test will be how these new additions adapt to a squad already aware of the pressures of the NPFL and now preparing for Africa. Team cohesion, understanding of tactics, and psychological readiness will matter as much as technical ability.

My prediction If Rivers United can nurture the new signings quickly and embed them into the collective, they have a chance to upset some expectations in Group A. If they falter in assimilation, the competition will expose the gap between aspiration and execution. One hopes the club’s recruitment is not just reactive, but thoughtful a step towards sustainable continental relevance.

For Nigerian football watchers, this feels like an inflection point. A club not simply qualifying, but preparing to rise. It is less about the destination and more about the mindset. And if Rivers United get this right, their journey may become a blueprint rather than an anomaly.

Did You Know?

1. Rivers United ended a seven-year drought for Nigerian clubs qualifying to the CAF Champions League group stage—the last was Lobi Stars in 2018/19.
   


2. According to CAF rules, clubs advancing to the group stage may register up to two new players during the designated window, which Rivers United are utilising.
   


3. Rivers United’s coach, Finidi George, is a former Super Eagles winger and spent part of his playing career at top European clubs—including Ajax, Real Betis and Ipswich Town.
   


4. The squad addition plan comes ahead of a very challenging group Pyramids FC of Egypt, RC Berkane of Morocco and Power Dynamos of Zambia. Each opponent brings continental experience and quality.
   


5. This recruitment move signals a broader trend among Nigerian clubs: recognising that continental competition demands not just qualification but investment in squad depth, infrastructure and preparation.