OGHENEKARO Etebo has commended the qualities of Emmanuel Dennis following his fellow Nigerian’s impressive debut in the Premier League.
Super Eagles forward scored Watford’s first goal and set up the second as they defeated Aston Villa 3-2 at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Etebo, who also had a brilliant 90 minutes in the clash for Watford, identified Dennis’ strengths that gave Villa problems.
“It’s very important as a team to score first and when you get an early goal it motivates everyone, keeps the positive vibes going and everyone keeps pushing,” Etebo said in his post-match interview.
“I’m happy for my Nigerian brother [Dennis] and (Idrissa) Sarr as well. They did well, you can see they’ve got good pace, they run forward and are direct players.”
Etebo, who is on loan from Stoke City, however warned his promoted side not to get carried away by the opening matchday result, with 37 rounds of games still ahead.
He added: “This is the start of the season. I’m happy that we got the win, congratulations to my teammates, but it’s a long season so step-by-step we have to keep going.
“This is just the beginning. Like the gaffer said, we need everyone. Everyone needs to stay together, be positive. It’s teamwork and there are lots of games to be played. This is just one game and there are a lot of games to go.”
With supporters finally back in the stadiums for the first time since February 2020 after the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Etebo felt they gave the team a boost during the match.
“It’s a thing of joy because we have gone nearly two years with no fans, but when they are in the stadium they lift up the team. It’s amazing,” he said.
