Gabriel Ezema, coach of Interlagos FC, recently reflected on his team’s performance in the NNL Super 8, acknowledging the mixed results of their inaugural season.
In an interview with Sports 247, Ezema expressed his thoughts on the journey and lessons learned.
Ezema began by assessing the overall season: “I wouldn’t say we conquered because we expected to make it to the Premier League. Not to forget that this is our first season. We’re just about eight months old.”
Despite the high aspirations, he acknowledged the impressive strides the team made given their nascent status and limited preparation time. “We started preparations less than five weeks before the start of the league.
So I think that it’s a good start for us, as much as we didn’t achieve very clear evidence of success for the season. But I’ll be able to reflect and say, look, this team played well, this team did well, this team finished second on the table.”
He highlighted the significance of reaching the Super 8: “This team went all the way to the Super Eight. So you would say that this team is one of the top eight teams in the NNL for this season. So I think it’s an achievement in its own right.”
When asked about the lessons learned, Ezema emphasized the need for consistency and improvement. “We have to continue to build on what we have started. We have a young team.
We need to be consistent with the quality of our equipment. We have to continue to improve. So I believe that next season we’ll still be in this tournament.”
Ezema also noted a critical area for improvement: finishing. “I think we’ve created more chances than any other team in this tournament. Unfortunately, the goals didn’t come. I think we’ll just have to improve on our finishing.”
Ezema’s reflections show a balanced perspective on the challenges and achievements of Interlagos FC’s first season, underlining a commitment to growth and development as they look forward to the next season in the NNL.
