Striker looking to continue his progress
He had previously been restricted to a few cameo appearances from the bench.
So Nicke Kabamba was delighted to make his full Pompey debut in last week’s Fratton victory over Cambridge.
It was another important milestone in the 24-year-old’s journey since signing from Hampton & Richmond in January.
Playing in front of a huge crowd was an added bonus and the striker’s next target is to open his goalscoring account.
Kabamba said: “It was a moment that I’ve been waiting for and it was my time to do what I love doing.
“To come out in front of 18,000 fans was an absolute privilege and there were a few nerves, but it’s nice to get that first game out of my system.
“There are only a few hundred people there at reserve matches – which is what it was like at Hampton – so it’s a big step up.
“Now I want to break down another barrier by getting my first goal and then I can just kick on from there.
“It happened with Jamal Lowe and now his confidence is through the roof – that’s what attacking players want.
“This is my first professional team and I want to take advice from everyone – I’m learning all the time.”
Pompey travel to Mansfield on Saturday knowing that they need a victory to keep their title hopes alive.
Kabamba said: “In the dressing room we used to talk about getting promoted, but now we’re talking about finishing the season strongly.
“We don’t want to take our foot off the gas now, especially because there’s still a chance of winning the title.
“It’s important that we keep our standards high and stay professional, so hopefully we can get a good result at Mansfield.”