Former Nigeria champions Rivers United sack longest-serving NPFL coach

Rivers United have sacked their coach, Stanley Eguma, after a disappointing season in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Soccernet.ng reports.

The season has not gone as planned for the 2022 NPFL champions who are currently eighth in the league, 13 points behind leaders Enugu Rangers.

Eguma, who has been with the club since 2008, became Rivers United’s coach following the 2017 merger of Dolphins and Sharks. He led the team to the NPFL title in 2022 and has taken them to the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

Rivers United announced Eguma’s departure on social media on Saturday. The Port Harcourt-based outfit stated,

“The Management of Rivers United FC officially announces the termination of Coach Stanley Eguma’s appointment as Technical Manager of the Club.

“Subsequently, Coach Evans Ogenyi, the club’s Chief Coach, has been appointed in an acting capacity as the head coach of the Club until the end of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League Season.

“The decision is in pursuit of a new direction aimed at achieving the objectives and goals of the club.

“However, we convey our gratitude to Coach Eguma for his services to the club and wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

Eguma recently led Rivers United to the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, where they lost to Algerian side USM Alger 2-1 on aggregate.

Rivers United will next face Enyimba in Aba in a league fixture on Sunday.