Rivers United Draw Twice in ValueJet Cup as Finidi George’s Side Struggle for Goals

Rivers United have started the ValueJet Cup 2026 with two draws, but the bigger picture shows a side still finding its rhythm ahead of the new season.

The Pride of Rivers opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Abia Warriors at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne before producing the same scoreline against Smart City in their second fixture.

The opening game was originally supposed to be against Smart City, but the fixture was revised following the unfortunate passing of a top official of Smart City FC.

That change meant Abia Warriors became the first opponents for the Finidi George-led side.

Chidiebere Nnachi broke the deadlock for the Umuahia War Lords in the 19th minute, putting them in front before Chijioke Mbaoma restored parity for the Pride of Rivers in the 59th minute.

The result extended Rivers United’s unbeaten run against Abia Warriors to three preseason meetings, with two wins and one draw.

The Port Harcourt side had also defeated Enyimba 1-0 before heading into the ValueJet tournament, adding another positive result to their preparations.

But when the rearranged Smart City fixture finally arrived, the pattern barely changed.

Ayuba Francis gave Rivers United the lead, but Monsuru Rafiu struck shortly before half-time to bring Smart City level.

Once again, the Finidi and his team had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

That leaves the Pride of Rivers with two points from their opening two ValueJet Cup 2026 matches, having scored twice and conceded twice.

They currently sit sixth in the standings, while Sporting Lagos and Rangers lead the table on six points each.

For the Rivers United coaching staff, the tournament is providing another useful opportunity to assess the squad, build match sharpness and fine-tune preparations before the competitive campaign begins.

The team might be struggling for goals, but the unbeaten run shows there are positives to take from the opening stages of the ValueJet Cup.