Super Eagles goalkeeper Ani Ozoemena has returned to full training with Rivers United following career-threatening surgery earlier this year, with the Port Harcourt club confirming it covered every cost of the procedure and rehabilitation.

The club paid the entire bill for the surgery, estimated at approximately ₦14 million, along with all associated rehabilitation expenses. Ozoemena was not required to contribute a single naira toward his own medical recovery.

"This is part of the club's wider player-first approach," Rivers United said in a statement on Friday.

A club standing behind its players

Rivers United first drew public attention to the matter in March 2026, describing its commitment to player welfare as a "colossal" undertaking and pointing to Ozoemena's case as a defining example of that philosophy in action.

The goalkeeper is not the only beneficiary of this approach. Right-back Ebuka Akobundu also returned to action after spending 378 days on the sidelines with an abdominal injury, aided by the same institutional support system.

According to the club, removing the financial and medical burden from players allows them to focus entirely on recovery and performance — a policy that, in their view, has lifted squad morale and deepened team unity.

Significance of the return

ACL recoveries typically demand several months of disciplined rehabilitation, making Ozoemena's return to full training a meaningful milestone. His progress reflects both the quality of the surgery performed and the thoroughness of the aftercare programme put in place by the club.

With Rivers United still firmly in contention during the ongoing NPFL season, regaining a fit first-choice goalkeeper gives the technical staff a timely and significant boost heading into the remaining fixtures.