Abbas Ibrahim of Pacos de Ferreira in the Portuguese Primeira Liga says his club’s win over highly-rated Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa Conference League (ECL) was due to team hard work.
The Portuguese side pipped Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the first leg play-off of the newly introduced ECL tie on Thursday in Portugal.
A highly elated Ibrahim said his base in Portugal that the win was a morale booster for the team as the team prepares for the return leg next week.
“I am happy with the win over Tottenham Hotspur. I think this will spur us even better for the second leg because the job is not yet completed.
“Our aim is to play in the group stage of this new competition (ECL) and we have been working hard towards that,” he said.
The 23-year-old diminutive midfielder who just signed a contract extension with his club till the summer of 2024 described the Portuguese Primeira Liga as very competitive.
Ibrahim, who was part of Nigeria’s U-13 and U-15 squads years ago joined the U-19 of Pacos de Ferreira in 2016, then progressed to the B Team two years later and subsequently made his first-team debut a year later.
He has been on two consecutive loan spells with USC Paredes and FC Arouca and gradually forced his way to the first team last season with 11 appearances, three starts, and one man of the match award.
Pacos de Ferreira finished 5th last season to qualify for the inaugural Europa Conference League this season.
The team will play Tottenham Hotspur next week Thursday in the return leg of the ECL for a place in the group stage of the competition.
Ibrahim’s eye-catching displays towards the end of last season had led to a call for an invitation to the Super Eagles.
