Rivers Angels Coach Confident Ahead Of Naija Ratels Clash
By Saheed Afolabi
Rivers Angels head coach Tosan Bob Blankson says his team is fully prepared for Wednesday’s NWFL Premiership Matchweek 2 fixture against Naija Ratels, despite not yet playing a competitive game this season.
The Port Harcourt-based side had their opening fixture postponed after their scheduled opponents were disqualified, meaning the encounter at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium will be Rivers Angels’ first outing of the 2025/26 campaign.
“We are very prepared for the match,” Blankson told reporters. “The only difference is that we didn’t play in Matchweek 1, while Naija Ratels have already had a game under their belt.”
The coach admitted that the Ratels hold a slight advantage having kicked off their season, but he remains unfazed.
“Yes, they have an edge because they’ve played already and we haven’t. There will be some pressure on us until the first whistle, but once the game starts, we’ll know exactly what to do,” he said.
Blankson refused to read too much into Naija Ratels’ performances from last season, pointing out the significant changes in personnel.
“Last season is history. You can’t judge this current Naija Ratels team with the players they had last term. Both teams have different squads now, so we’ll see what happens on the pitch.”
The two sides will face off on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, with kick-off set for 1:00 pm at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.
Rivers Angels go into the game with an impressive recent record against the Abuja-based side, having won four and drawn one of their last five meetings. The Angels will be aiming to extend that strong head-to-head dominance when the whistle blows.
