Finidi, Amuneke square off as Rivers welcome Heartland

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is set for a thrilling weekend as two Super Eagles legends, Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke, prepare to face off from the sidelines.

This highly anticipated match will see Finidi’s Rivers United host Amuneke’s Heartland FC in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

The clash between these two football icons adds an extra layer of intrigue to the fixture this weekend in the Football League.

Both Finidi and Amuneke were recently in contention for the position of Super Eagles head coach, with Finidi ultimately securing the role as Jose Peseiro’s replacement.

Finidi, who got the Super Eagles job and had a two-game stint with the national team, however, declined to take the lead role as he faces his former Super Eagles teammate.

He said, “He is a colleague; he is a friend of mine, and there is nothing special about us being on the bench. We will just do our jobs. No extra pressure on my own part, and I hope that will be the same on his part too.”

It’s the first home game of the season for Finidi’s Rivers United, who played a goalless draw against Bendel Insurance with 10 men last week, while Amuneke is also in search of his first point in charge of Heartland after suffering a 3-1 defeat at home against Enyimba last week.

“They lost at home, so I think they will come here like wounded lions, but we at home will be focused on getting the maximum three points. It’s going to be a difficult game, but at the end of the day we want to win, and they will also want to get something out of it.

“We want to play good and balanced football, so the support will be huge for us,” Finidi added.

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