Ethiopian striker Abubeker Nassir has said having scored his first goal for Mamelodi Sundowns over the weekend, his target now is to push for a place in the team’s star-studded starting XI.
Nassir said this in an interview with Ethio FM 107.8 on wide-ranging matters revolving around his dream first goal for Sundowns on Saturday.
He came off the bench to score for Sundowns as they beat Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 in a DStv Premiership match played at Loftus Stadium.
“I will work hard to get into the starting line-up. The decision is up to the coach, but I will try the best of my ability,” he said.
The Ethiopian international said he was thrilled by the sights and sounds of the home stadium, which erupted into joy when he wriggled his way on the right before putting the ball into the back of the net.
“It was good. It was a tough game. Since it was my first game in a foreign land. I was happy to score. I dedicate the goal to the Ethiopian people,” he said.
“Well, it is a big game against Kaizer Chiefs… I was really happy to score in such a big league. After I scored, my teammates were very happy. They were joking with me, saying it is a holiday in Ethiopia now that I have scored.”
He added that he had settled a little easier than expected when he signed from Ethiopia Coffee two months ago.
Nassir cited the language barrier as one of the things he expected would make life tough for him at Sundowns.
“I thought it would be very tough for me since I don’t know much of the language. People have been helping me out through a lot, and it has eased a lot. I thought it would be hard,” he said.
The 22-year-old has started from the bench in the 1-0 loss to TS Galaxy in a midweek game and in the 4-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.
The talented young striker has come with a big profile in South Africa following his exploits at Ethiopia Coffee which he joined in 2019.
Nassir went on to carve a niche in Coffee’s attack, scoring 36 goals in 47 Premier League appearances in the last two campaigns.
He was voted last season’s Most Valuable Player and top scorer in the Ethiopian Premier League and is also the national team’s reliable scorer.
