‘Is that Argentina vs Nigeria?’ - Nigerians react after former Super Eagles coach Finidi George suffered heavy beating in Egypt

Nigerian football fans have been left reeling after former Super Eagles coach Finidi George witnessed his Rivers United side suffer a heavy 3-0 defeat in Egypt against defending CAF Champions League champions Pyramids FC. 

The loss sparked a flood of reactions on social media, with many Nigerians likening the heavy beating to an "Argentina vs Nigeria" mismatch.

Pyramids dominated the second half, with midfielder Ahmed Atef El Sayed scoring a spectacular hat-trick to secure a commanding victory. 

After a tight first half that ended goalless, Atef broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute with a close-range finish following a defensive error. 

Five minutes later, he doubled the lead with a superb header from a through ball by Karim Hafez. 

Atef completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute by calmly placing a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner, assisted by Mohamed Reda. 

The Egyptian side controlled the tempo until the final whistle, underscoring their status as favourites to retain their continental crown.

The fans’ reactions were stark and witty, with comments such as, "Is that Argentina vs Nigeria?" capturing the disbelief. 

One fan lamented, "Anything that looks like Argentina vs Nigeria like this na always L for us," while another opined, "No need for apologies... we all know nothing is working as long as it relates to Nigeria." 

Criticisms targeted Rivers United’s defensive frailties and fearfulness on the pitch, with a fan saying, "I watched the first 10 minutes and saw the way Rivers played; I knew they wouldn’t get a draw because some players played with fear." 

Another bluntly stated, "You guys played nonsense last night; the defensive line was terrible. You couldn't even hold the ball in midfield for a minute. Una shame me."

Finidi George acknowledged the turning point came with a costly defensive mistake early in the second half, admitting the Pride of Rivers also played with fear, which paved the way for Pyramids’ dominance. 

He reflected, "What changed in the first half and second half? Just concentration, fear. At that moment, the defenders made that mistake; that was the turning point of the match." 

Despite the setback, Finidi remains focused on the future, urging motivation and mental readiness ahead of their next group-stage encounter. 

"We have to talk to them and let them mentally prepare for the match. We have to play our home match next week and try to win it, then assess our chances. Each game at a time," he said.

Rivers United will look to regroup, with fans eagerly awaiting their next outing, hoping for a stronger showing after a sobering start to their Champions League campaign.