‘Prepare for stiff challenge against Rayon Sports’

Nigerian football legend, Adokiye Amiesimaka has warned Rivers United to be prepared for a stiff challenge when they face Rwandan club, Rayon Sports in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup playoff tie.

The Nigerian club eased to a 2-0 win in the first leg at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt on Sunday to put themselves in the box seat for qualification for the group stage of the competition.

Amiesimaka, a member of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning squad of 1980, who watched Sunday’s game, has now urged players and staff of the ‘Pride of Rivers’ not to be lulled into a false sense of security.

“First, I want to say congratulations to Rivers United FC of Nigeria for an encouraging performance (on Sunday),” Amiesimaka told supersport.com.

“A 2-0 (result) is as good a scoreline as any. Only 1-0 may turn out to be safe, just as 4-0 may not be safe.

“In this game, any margin is as safe or precarious as you make it.

“It is possible to lose at home, but win away. It is possible to win at home and also win away. It is possible to win at home, but lose away. It is possible to lose, home and away.

“Each instance has happened before. Any result is possible. To win is simply to make sure you score more goals than you concede,” he said.

The ex-international then urged the Rivers United team to press home their advantage in the return leg by playing to their strengths while ensuring their underbelly is not exposed.

“Know your strengths and build on them. Know your weaknesses and strive to prevent your opponents from capitalising on them.

“In like manner, know your opponents’ strengths and strive to neutralise them, just as you should identify their weaknesses and work to capitalise on them.

“That is what the game is, a contest of wits, whether home or away and as long as refereeing is fair, it shouldn’t make much difference to any solid team with the right attitude whether it is playing home or away,” Amiesimaka concluded.