Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma says the failure of the League Management Company (LMC) to announce a kickoff date for this season’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is detrimentally affecting his side in the CAF Confederation Cup.
United scraped past Equatoguinean minnows Futuro Kings on penalties in the preliminary round of this season’s Confederation Cup after scores stood at 3-3 after two legs.
Eguma says absence of domestic football has affected his side so far as they look to become the first Nigerian club to win the Confederation Cup title.
“The failure of the league to commence has been a problem for us because physically and mentally, my players are still not at a hundred percent,” Eguma told SPNA. “However, I know this situation is synonymous with many clubs especially those that have not started their league.
“We have to manage the situation because it was caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“However, we hope that the league can start soonest so that our players can get to the required level of fitness to prosecute matches in a competition of this level.”
Rivers United will face South African club, Bloemfoentain Celtic in the first round of the Confederation Cup.
