Players and officials of Rivers United escaped serious injury after the club’s team bus was involved in a road accident on Thursday while travelling to Awka, Anambra State, for their President Federation Cup Round of 16 fixture against Nasarawa United.

In a statement issued by the club’s Media Officer, Charles Mayuku, Rivers United said the incident occurred along the Obiri-Ikwerre Airport Road on the outskirts of Port Harcourt shortly after the team departed from its camp.

The club confirmed that some players and officials sustained minor injuries, but there were no fatalities or life-threatening cases.

“The club can confirm that some players and officials sustained minor injuries in the accident. Thankfully, there have been no fatalities or life-threatening injuries reported. All affected individuals are currently receiving appropriate medical attention and are in stable condition,” the statement read.

According to the club, its medical team is closely monitoring those affected while management assesses the situation and makes arrangements regarding the team’s travel plans and upcoming Federation Cup fixture.

“The safety, health, and well-being of our players and officials remain our utmost priority,” the club added.

Rivers United also thanked supporters, partners and members of the football community for their concern and prayers following the incident.

The accident comes at a crucial stage of the season for the Port Harcourt club, which is still chasing silverware after narrowly missing out on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title.

READ ALSO: Fedration Cup: Finidi hails Rivers United’s dramatic victory over Rangers

The team, coached by Finidi George, finished second in the league standings after an intense title race with Rangers International. Rangers clinched the championship on the final day of the season with 68 points, just one ahead of Rivers United, who also won their last league match but fell short in the race for the crown.

However, Rivers United have kept alive their hopes of ending the campaign with a trophy through the President Federation Cup. In their last outing, they gained revenge for their league disappointment by defeating Rangers 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 32 encounter to book a place in the last 16. The victory came just days after Rangers had edged them to the league title by a single point.

Rivers United will now hope the affected players recover quickly as preparations continue for the Round of 16 showdown against Nasarawa United originally fixed for Saturday at the Awka City Stadium, Anambara.

Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

Rivers United players escape serious injury after road accident before Federation Cup match

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