By Aderonke Ojo
Rivers United secured a narrow but crucial 1–0 victory over Wikki Tourists in their NPFL25 Matchday 17 encounter played at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The decisive moment of the match came as early as the 18th minute when Taofeek Otaneyi found the back of the net, a goal that ultimately separated both sides and earned the hosts all three points at stake.
Despite conceding early, Wikki Tourists showed great resilience and intent. The Bauchi-based side created several goal-scoring opportunities, especially in the early stages of the game. Abdullahi Usman and Ahmed Abubakar both came close to giving Wikki Tourists the lead, but their efforts failed to hit the target when it mattered most.
As the game progressed, Wikki Tourists grew in confidence and dominated large spells of possession, piling pressure on Rivers United. The hosts, however, remained compact and disciplined in defence, soaking up pressure and holding on to their slim advantage until the final whistle.
Speaking after the match, Wikki Tourists’ Head Coach, Bashir Saleh, acknowledged that poor conversion of chances has been the team’s biggest challenge this season.
> “We created enough chances to get something from this game, but our problem has been finishing. The technical crew is working hard to address this, and we believe improvements will come soon,” the coach said.
Attention now shifts to Matchday 18, where Wikki Tourists will return home to Bauchi to face Kun Khalifa FC next weekend, hoping to turn their strong performances into positive results in front of their fans.