‘We will not be distracted’: Rivers Alphas QB Akinpelu vows to fight back as SHOWTIME ratings put players in the spotlight

Rivers Alphas quarterback Adewale Akinpelu Yussuf has vowed that his team will remain focused after a difficult 41-0 loss to the Abia Warriors in their first game of SHOWTIME Flag Football XV Season of the League at Showtime Arena.

Akinpelu, wearing number 55, finished with a player rating of 3.1 on a challenging afternoon for the Alphas. Instead of shying away from the outcome, the quarterback believes the opening weekend should be treated as a starting point for a team with an entire season ahead of it.

READ ALSO: Warriors send early warning! Abia Crush Rivers Alphas 41-0 as Bello stars in the XV season of SHOWTIME | Sports247 Nigeria

“It’s the start of a new season, so we’re taking our time and we’re not going to let a result distract us. The most important thing is to stay focused, keep working and go into each game with the right mindset. It didn’t work out for us today, but the season is long and we’ll keep working,” Akinpelu said.

The individual qualifications added another dimension to the contest. Abia Warriors quarterback Bello Anuoluwapo topped the ratings with 8.1, closely followed by receiver Success Patrick with 8.0, while Joseph Williams recorded 7.3 and defender Owen Favor finished with 7.0.

For Rivers, Temituro Elizabeth led the ratings displayed with 5.9, while defenders Oluwatamilore Fashina and Qudus Tanimowo recorded 5.8 each. Those numbers give players another benchmark to measure their performance as Season XV progresses.

The rating system is also becoming an important narrative tool for SHOWTIME. Fans can now follow individual performances along with scores, play-by-play action and player profiles, creating conversations about who performed, who improved and who could become the next breakout star.

For sponsors, that provides another layer of business opportunities. Player of the Week campaigns, performance rankings, statistics, brand highlights and partnerships with individual athletes can turn SHOWTIME’s growing pool of players into recognizable personalities beyond game day.

For Akinpelu, the challenge now is simple: improve on Game Week 1 and lead the Alphas’ response.

The marker may have belonged to Abia Warriors, but Season XV has only just begun. Each game brings another score, another performance, and another opportunity for players to write a different story.