Former Akwa United of Uyo attacker, Ubong Ekpai is picking positives from his outing in the UEFA Champions League with Viktoria Plzen of Czech Republic, as he says it was a memorable debut for him.
Although he could not save his side from losing 5-0 against AS Roma of Italy, Ekpai, who also played for Kano Pillars and the home-based Eagles before travelling abroad, being able to feature in Europe’s elite clubs’ competition is a major plus for his career.
Consequently, footballlive.ng gathered that Ekpai is now aiming for greater things in the coming days, as he believes Plzen can recover from their loss in Rome to make a better impression in the contest.
Ekpai, who also featured for Nigeria’s under-20 and under-23 national teams at various stages, was a 71st minute substitute in Rome during the match on Tuesday night.
It was a significant leap for the 22-year-old forward, as he had been an unused sub in his club’s opening UCL group game at home against CSKA Moscow of Russia, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Though Viktoria Plzen are bottom of the standings with a point from two matches, in a group that also has the defending champions, Real Madrid, Ekpai is staying upbeat about his side’s chances of making progress.
The amiable attacker, who has also previously featured in the Europa League, posted on social media: “Got my first UCL match. We lost, but we are not giving up. Better game next time.”
