Niger Tornadoes vs Rivers United lineups, 3 predictions – NPFL

The Bako Kontagora Stadium will host Niger Tornadoes vs Rivers United on Sunday, as both teams contend with each other for three valuable points. Which of these teams will emerge victorious after 90 minutes?

Our next 5 games#NPFL24 pic.twitter.com/2YdM1qvnEw

— Rivers United FC (@RiversUnitedFC) October 5, 2023

Niger Tornadoes vs Rivers United probable lineups

Here's how we think these teams will line up for this Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match:

Niger Tornadoes

Goalkeeper: Michael George.
Defenders: Idris Saidu, Slow Danladi, Abdulkadir Zango, Sunday Odeh.
Midfielders: Hamza Mohammed, Ifeanyi Okoye, Shamsudeen Ashimu.
Strikers: Waheed Adebayo, Yahaya Adamu, Emmanuel Iyang.

Rivers United

Goalkeeper: Abiodun Akande.
Defenders: Emmanuel Ampiah, Chidiebere Duru, Adeleke Adekunle, Kazie Godswill.
Midfielders: Farouk Mohammed, Ukeme Williams, Chiamaka Madu.
Strikers: Chukwudi Lawrence Ekeocha, Paul Acquah, Samuel Antwi.

Niger Tornadoes vs Rivers United confirmed lineups

*Lineups will be automatically updated shortly after they're released

Niger Tornadoes vs Rivers United predictions

It's worth mentioning that Niger Tornadoes lost their season opener to Abia Warriors by a lone goal. On the other hand, Rivers United's opening match against Remo Stars was postponed due to their CAF Confederations Cup qualifying game against Etoile de Ouagadougou. Bearing that in mind, these are our predictions for this match:

Rivers United to win

Niger Tornadoes have been going through a rough patch these past couple of months; they are currently on a four-match losing streak, a run that stretches back to their previous season. In contrast, Rivers United have proven to be a tough team to beat; they strung up a 13 match unbeaten run stretching back to April, with six wins and seven draws. Additionally, the visitors have dominated Niger Tornadoes in recent years; they are unbeaten in the last five clashes between these teams, with three wins and two draws. All things considered, anything other than a victory for Rivers United would be a surprise.

One team to keep a clean sheet

Next, let's take a look at the BTTS market. We've already pointed out that Niger Tornadoes have lost four matches in a row. It may also interest you to know that they didn't score a single goal in that four-game stretch. At least one team blanked in six of Niger Tornadoes' last seven games. Likewise, both teams managed to score in just one of the last five skirmishes between these teams; and for this reason, we shouldn't expect goals at both ends.

A low-scoring affair

Given that Niger Tornadoes don't score a lot of goals, it's no surprise that they've seen their fair share of low-scoring matches in recent weeks. In fact, those four matches went south of the 2.5 goal marker. Taking into account that nine of Rivers United's last 11 matches featured less than three goals; coupled with the fact that eight of the last 11 encounters between these sides went below the 2.5 goal line, we don't think these teams will score up to three goals between them.

Niger Tornadoes recent form

Niger Tornadoes are coming into this match on the back of four consecutive losses, a four-game stretch where they couldn't register any goals. As an in-form Rivers United come to town, it'll be interesting to see if Niger Tornadoes can halt their rotting streak.

Rivers United recent form

Rivers United earned their place in the CAF Confederations Cup, after defeating Etiole de Ouagadougou in the qualifying rounds. They are now on a 13 match unbeaten run, and will fancy their chances of taking all three points at the expense of today's opponents.