Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Hon Boma Iyaye, has urged Rivers United Football Club to be focused and maintain high level of discipline, as they prepare for the new football season.
The commissioner, who watched the team’s first training session preparatory to the incoming season, charged players and officials of the club to be serious and determined ahead of the potentially demanding season.
The players and officials have been shaping up at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, its home ground, for the team’s first training session ahead of the new season.
The session lasted for exactly 90 minutes and was supervised by the chief coach, Willy Udube.
“On behalf of the sponsor of the team, the Rivers State government, I want to welcome you back from your vacation.
“However, this is time for hard work and I want to charge you all to realise that you are ambassadors of Rivers State and Nigeria, as you will be representing this country in the 2017 CAF Champions’ League.
“I urge you all to display high level of discipline and focus, as you prepare to do Rivers State and Nigeria proud in the upcoming season,” he said. Responding, club captain, Festus Austine, promised that the players would work hard always and would justify the confidence reposed in them.
“We want to thank you, honourable commissioner, for your fatherly advice and also want to use this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Rivers State government for the continued support to the club.
“We will not relent ahead of the new season, as we look to put smiles on the faces of Rivers people and Nigerians in general,” he said. Meanwhile, General Manager of the club, Chief Okey Kpalukwu, confirmed to The Point that a few of the players are still being expected, but assured that there would be a full house soon.
“I want to urge the few players who have not yet turned up to do so without any further delay. “Our time for preparations is quite short, and we will need a full house before the next training session,” he said.
Rivers United finished in second place in last season’s NPFL and will represent Nigeria in the 2017 CAF Champions League.
