Rivers United head coach Finidi George has praised the display of left-back Ochobi Elias following the club’s 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League fixture on Wednesday.
Elias featured for the full 90 minutes at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, helping Rivers United keep a clean sheet. The defender has only made cameo appearances earlier this season, but Finidi explained his decision to hand him a complete game.
“I think he did well. Normally, we should have been bringing him in gradually, maybe 15 minutes before giving him a 90-minute match. But I trust him, and I’ve spoken to him. He should be relaxed, calm down, and play his football,” Finidi said.
The coach added that Elias could have scored late on, but opted to set up a teammate instead. “I think today he would have scored a goal at the last moment, but he still wanted to square the ball. I’m quite happy with his performance, and we will keep encouraging him to do better. I am very, very pleased.”
Elias, a product of the club’s youth system, was part of the Rivers United team that won the NPFL Youth League in 2024 before earning promotion to the senior squad under Finidi.
He is expected to make the squad for Sunday’s league trip to Aba where Rivers United face Enyimba.
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