Albert Dikwa “Chico” brace cements 2-0 win at No. 3 North Carolina FC
CARY, N.C. (Nov. 8, 2025) – A second-half brace from Albert Dikwa “Chico” powered Rhode Island FC to its second-straight Eastern Conference Final on Saturday as the Ocean State club shut out North Carolina FC 2-0 at First Horizon Stadium in the USL Championship Eastern Conference Semifinals. A second-straight shutout led the way for another playoff upset as the Ocean State club took down the No. 3 seed, setting up a meeting with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Rhode Island FC got off to a strong start, finding the game’s first chance in the sixth minute when Noah Fuson laid the ball off Hugo Bacharach at the top of the penalty area. Bacharach fired a powerful first-time shot, but it flew just north of the crossbar. Ten minutes later, North Carolina FC cleared an RIFC cross that fell kindly to Amos Shapiro-Thompson, who launched a driven effort from long range that was deflected out by a defender.
In the 17th minute, the Ocean State club nearly found the opening goal when Zachary Herivaux got on the end of a pass in the box, but his shot was blocked by a sliding Finn Sundstrom. Fuson picked up the rebound and fired off two consecutive close-range shots, but Sundstrom heroically slid in once again to clear away the danger as a resilient NCFC defense refused to back down.
The hosts grew into the game through the next ten minutes, finding a trio of dangerous chances from its all-time leading scorer, Oalex Anderson. In the 27th minute, the forward broke through the RIFC defense down the left wing, sprinting into a one-on-one position before dragging a low shot just wide of the far post. Three minutes later, Anderson picked up the ball in the midfield before launching a long-range rocket that rattled the crossbar.
In the 32nd minute, RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas was called into action for just the second time when Anderson dribbled through three defenders and took a shot that forced a sharp low save out of the Ocean State captain. Despite the uptick in dangerous chances, both defenses remained resolute as the teams went into the halftime break scoreless.
In the 61st minute, JJ Williams had a golden chance to give RIFC the lead when Herivaux played the striker in behind the defense and into the penalty area. Taking the ball into the box, William’s chip shot was denied by the outstretched arm of NCFC goalkeeper Oliver Semmle, who made a brilliant stop to keep his team in the game.
Twenty minutes later, second-half substitute Albert Dikwa “Chico” delivered a moment of magic, burying a close-range header to put RIFC in front just six minutes after coming into the game. Springing to the back post to connect with Fuson’s cross from the right side, the Cameroonian rose up and drilled the ball into the back of the net to give RIFC a lead it would not relinquish.
In the third minute of second-half stoppage time, Chico pounced on a loose pass in the midfield to put the game away. After Semmle ran out of his goal and into the midfield to play a pass, Chico forced an interception in the center circle, immediately booting the ball toward the wide open goal and nestling it into the back of the net to confirm RIFC’s spot in the 2025 Eastern Conference Final.
With a second-straight spot in the conference final secured, Rhode Island FC will travel to Highmark Stadium to defend its conference title vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. For up-to-date information regarding the Official Rhode Island FC Eastern Conference Final Watch Party, text “Playoffs 2025” to 401-249-4857.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – Albert Dikwa “Chico” (Noah Fuson), 81st minute: Chico drills home Fuson’s cross from the right wing. NC 0, RI 1
RI – Albert Dikwa “Chico”, 90+3 minutes: Chico pounces on a loose ball in the midfield, nestling the ball into the wide-open net from the center circle. NC 0, RI 2
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Rhode Island FC is the second team in the USL Championship era to advance to a conference final in both of its first two seasons.
- Albert Dikwa “Chico” scored his first brace of the season, and first career USL Championship playoff brace. Across the 2025 regular season and playoffs, he is the second player to score multiple goals in a game.
- Chico’s brace marked his fourth career multi-goal game for the club across all competitions.
- Chico is now tied for the team lead with eight goals across all competitions.
- With the brace, Chico is now tied with JJ Williams as RIFC’s all-time leading scorer with 19 career goals across all competitions. Chico and Williams are the only players to tally multiple career playoff goals for RIFC.
- Koke Vegas kept his second-straight shutout, doing so in the playoffs for the first time in his USL Championship career. He now has 22 career shutouts for RIFC, and 13 across the regular season and playoffs in 2025.
- Across the last two seasons, Vegas has kept clean sheets against the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the playoffs.
- Noah Fuson tallied his team-leading fifth assist of the season across all competitions. It was the first playoff assist of his RIFC career.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Albert Dikwa “Chico”
Match stats and information available here.
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