Rivers United midfielder Nelson Okwa Esor has told www.aclsports.com that he is grateful for scoring his maiden goal for the club in their 3-0 humiliation of Rangers International in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match decided on Thursday.
Esor came on as a 65th minute substitute for Wasiu Jimoh, the scorer of United’s second goal and scored his first goal since joining the Rivers capital club from Go Round FC at the start of the season in a brilliant fashion in the 76th minute.
Esor’s goal sealed United’s highest score margin since September 2017 and inflicted on Rangers, their heaviest defeat in the league since May 28, 2017.
“It feels great today. The fans have been complaining that we only score one goal each game but today we scored three and I scored one of them. I’m grateful to God for it,” said the dimunitive attacking midfielder to www.aclsports.com
“I did promise that I would score today and even in training, I’ve been scoring throughout the week and I believed I would get my goal and I’m glad it came today,” he added.
Thursday’s victory lifted Rivers United from the relegation zone to just one point off the Top Three playoff spot and Esor insists the target for Stanley Eguma’s side is to get a playoff spot by the end of the regular season.
“We (Rivers United) are hoping on the top three and we believe by the grace of God that we will do it and we will come to play the Super Six. From there we will know how it will be.”
Esor has not found playing time easy to come by since joining Rivers United and although he admits it is worrisome to him, he remains positive that the situation will soon change.
“As a player you have to be bothered that you’re not starting but in the other way round, you don’t have to be bothered because a coach has his own tactics in each game. I’ve been coming in in second half and I’ve been doing my best, today is not an exemption. I’m not disappointed because I know that one day I will keep starting.”
Up next for the Pride of Rivers is a trip to third place side MFM FC at the Agege Township Stadium in Lagos on Sunday. Lagos is a neighbouring state to Ogun state where Rivers United recorded their only away win till date in the league this season (against Remo Stars).
Esor says his side will go there, hoping to reproduce the Sagamu performance.
‘We want to replicate what we did in Sagamu against Remo Stars in Lagos. We will go there again and pull of a surprise result there,” he concluded.
