Exclusive News
By Sab Osuji
Stanley Eguma Says Rivers United will feel at,home at Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, when they begin their push for the CAF Confederation Cup silverware, Exclusivenews.com.ng reports.
The Nigeria Champions were hauled off their ancestral home ground, Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium,,Omagwa, near Port Harcourt, by CAF, who directed the Stanley Eguma’s men to relocate to The Nest Champions for the Group B home fixtures.
Although an initially distrus Eguma said its ‘absolutely difficult’ to come to terms with the reality of the club, Rivers United, having to be forced to relocate to The Nest of Champions, Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, for their 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup group phase games.
The Pride of Rivers had been hosting their CAF Interclub competitions home games as well as the domestic NPFL home matches inside the natural grass turf of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Omagwa, near Port Harcourt, in the last couple of seasons.
The edifice had equally hosted Super Eagles games after getting the greenlight of the African Football Supreme Powers.
But a seemingly downcast and ‘frustrated’ Capelo, as Eguma is fondly called, cast a forlon look when news filtered in that CAF has ordered the Nigeria Champions and only surviving representatives in the two tiers of the continent’s interclub showpiece, to shift their home games to the Nest of Champions in Uyo.
Even though Godswill Akpabio Stadium Uyo, is in the same geopolitical zone, South South, with Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Eguma feels hard done that after going through the preliminary round games at home in Port Harcourt and with just few weeks to their group’s first home game against Asec Mimosa of Ivory Coast, his team is being forced out of base like fish out of water.
“What this means is that the players will begin a fresh race for adaptation”, starts Eguma who won the CAF Champions League in 2004 with Enyimba.
“And more worrisome is the timing. We’ve just a couple of weeks before our opening group game away to Diables Noir of DR Congo.
“We are also battling with domestic league, so time is not on our hands for this ‘away from home’ games and it’s very unfortunate”.
Eguma would, however, draw positives from his ‘impossibility is nothing’ disposition to assure the team’s faithful that despite the thorny path they are now forced to trek, its implications in their dream and ambition to lay their hands on the continental silverware at the end of the campaign, the Pride of Rivers will not allow the development derail their pre tournament objective.
He sounded emphatic that Rivers United will be at home in Uyo, as well as at any other venue in the country.
“This has placed a huge mountain before us, no doubt about that. It’s a big minus to us but we will not allow that to weigh us down”, Capelo quipped.
“Godswill Akpabio Stadium is a Nigerian Stadium, domiciled in Nigeria and specifically within our South South State of Akwa IBM.
“It’s not going to be a new ground for us. We’ve been playing league matches there over the years so its a familiar terrain for us.
“We’re going to be at home in Uyo. As long as we are playing on the Nigerian soil, we see it as our home.
“Whether in Uyo, Lagos or even Abuja, they’re all Nigerian soils. So, it’s our home and we have to take it like that.
“But it’s unfortunate that we’ll not be playing on our traditional home in Port Harcourt which would have given us lots of advantages and confidence because that’s our fortress”.
Rivers United are logged in pool B of the CAF Confederation Cup alongside ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’Ivoire, Congo Brazzaville’s Diables Noir and DC Motema Pembe of the DR Congo.
Eguma’s men will get their group phase campaign underway on February 12 with a trip to Diables Noir.
A week on, precisely on February 19, The Pride of Rivers will welcome Ivoirien giants, Asec Mimosa, to their new ‘home’, Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo before traveling to DC Motema Pembe on February 26.
