Host Kwara State yesterday started on a promising note in the football event of the National School Sport Festival (NSSF), defeating Rivers State 3-2 in the opening match of the competition.

Kwara showed the determination to win when they drew the first blood in the early minutes of the game to lead through number 9 shirted player, Victor Friday.

The excitement had hardly died down when Rivers responded with a goal by Clifford Maxwell to equalise and keep scores at 1-1. But before the end of the first half River scored another goal through Kingdom Akeekeu to take the lead.

At resumption of the second half however, the Kwara lads came out smoking as they scored two goals in quick succession through Olusegun Olakunle to take the lead midway into the second half.

Efforts by the Rivers State players to level scores proved abortive as the Kwara team showed resilience to end the match in their favour. The other events start on today.