Football
Bernard Ovoke was the pin up boy
of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Rivers United last
season.
Super quick, extravagantly
skilful, blessed with an eye for goal and in possession of a low centre of
gravity, the ‘magic seven’ left fear and pain in his wake at many an NPFL
side’s defence last term.
He finished as the club’s top
scorer last season and has taken two league games to get off the mark this
term.
His well-taken goal on Wednesday
earned Rivers United a priceless point at the ‘Nest of Champions’ against a
very well-drilled Akwa United side.
Ovoke believes his strike against
the Promise Keepers is potentially the first of many to come and has now set a
20-goal-target for himself for the 2016/17 season.
“The game against Akwa United was
not a bad game. I enjoyed myself and it was important to score.
“I set a target of scoring 20
goals even before we played our first game against El Kanemi Warriors.
“I cannot do it on my own as I
will need the support of my teammates and our coaches to achieve it but I will
work even harder than I did last season to achieve this,” the winger told the club’s
official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
United will campaign on three
front this season in what is the biggest season in the club’s history.
The Pride of Rivers will compete
in the CAF Champions League and Federation Cup alongside their exertions in the
NPFL.
Ovoke has set his sights high in
all three competitions and says the focus remains doing well in all of
them.
“The most important thing for us
is to stay focussed and continue working hard.
“I am convinced we have a good
team and if there are no injuries, I am very certain we will achieve great
things this season.
“We have been receiving great
support from the sponsor (the Rivers State Government) and hopefully, we have
something to give back to the fans at the end of the season.
Next up for United is a home
fixture in the NPFL against Niger Tornadoes on Sunday and Ovoke says there
should be no talk of taking their foot off the gas.
“We have done well so far because
everybody at Rivers United has shown seriousness even before the season
began.
“We have to continue that way
against Tornadoes on Sunday.
“They are in the relegation zone
but at this stage of the season, you cannot really rate any team because it is
still too early.
“The season will be long and
demanding and we want the fans to stand by us from now till the end,” he
said.
Rivers United is currently in
fourth place on the NPFL standings with four points from their first two
matches.
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