NPFL: ‘Winning the title is my ultimate target,” Rivers United’s Chijioke Akuneto declares

The current highest goal scorer of the 2021/2022 NPFL season, Chijioke Akuneto has declared that “winning the title” for Rivers United is his ultimate target for this season.

Akuneto has been one of the stand out performers for the Pride of Rivers this season and is currently leading the race for this season’s golden boot with 16 goals after his brace saw Rivers United defeat Abia 2-1 on match day 33.

While sharing his thoughts on his performance against Abia Warriors with Journalists after the game, the attacker said he would not throw away the chance to win both the title and the golden boot.

“Well as Oliver Twist, I would like to win both the title and goal scorer award, but lifting the NPFL title with Rivers United is my ultimate target.”

At the beginning of the match day, Victor Mbaoma was leading the race after he netted a hattrick against Kwara United to take his tally to 15 before Gombe United’s Yusuf AbdulAzeez equaled that with his own goal against Dakkada.

Akuneto who was on 14 goals before the match day scored twice to overtake his teammate, Ishaq Rafiu who is also on 14 goals, Victor Mbaoma and Yusuf AbdulAzeez at the end of the match day.

On the tight race for the golden boot award and the price money of 200,000 naira pee goal, the Rivers United number 31 said “I’d like to win the award as top scorer but that won’t make me to be too selfish, I will support my team mate in better scoring position; I’ve been providing assists for my teammates and I will still do more.”

Chijioke Akuneto was the first player to score a hattrick this season in the NPFL as Rivers United defeated Akwa United 4-1 on match day 19.