‘GAME ON’ Day One: 36 Lion FC, Urimi Advance As Coach Akinshola Blames Players For Not Playing To Instructions

Despite his side’s victory over B.E Arena Fc on Thursday to advance to the final of the Ongoing “Game on” football competition, Coach of 36 Lion Fc, Akinshola Francis has blamed his players for not playing to his instructions and tactics.

Akinshola Francis’ side defeated B.E Arena Fc at the Agege stadium on Thursday on penalties, after both teams were locked at 1-1 at the end of the game, to advance to the final of the ongoing “Game On” football Competition.

The “Game on” football competition is a 2-day football event, organized by the Sports Kindergarten International (SKI), which consists of four teams (36Lion Fc, B.E Arena Fc, Freiburgerweg FA and Urimi of PH) participating in it, for a chance to win the competition, as well as aim to scout for young and bright football talents.

Speaking with Sports247 after his team advanced to the final of the competition, Coach of 36Lion Fc expressed his disappointment and frustration on the part of his players not playing to his instructions and following his tactics in the match, as he admitted that they were being lucky to qualify for the final of the competition because the game of penalties was always anyone’s game. He stated that he will make sure that they amend their mistakes before tomorrow’s (Friday) final. He also commended the efforts of his goalkeeper, who also won the ‘Man of the Match’ award, as he saved three spot-kicks for his team, to help them advance to the final, saying that the goalkeeper is following his footsteps because he was also a goalkeeper during his playing days.

“The game is not too bad, but my boys didn’t play to expectations and instructions, so we have to go back home and amend our mistakes before the final tomorrow. When a game get to a penalty shootout, it becomes anybody’s game. Anybody can win anybody in terms of the Penalty Shootout, but we are lucky today to go through to the final tomorrow, so we have to go back and correct our mistakes before tomorrow’s final, which I believe we will win convincingly”.

“For our goalkeeper today, I was also a goalkeeper as well during my playing days, so I know where players play their spot-kicks, so I gave him the ideas on how to save spot-kicks, which he did, kudos to him”, he admitted.

In the second match played today in the competition, Urimi of Port Harcourt defeated Freiburgerweg FA 2-1 to set up tomorrow’s (Friday) Grand finale between 36Lion Fc and Urimi of Port Harcourt (by 12pm), while the “third place” match will be between B.E Arena Fc and Freiburgerweg FA (by 10am).

Both matches will be played tomorrow (Friday) at the Soccer Temple Stadium in Agege, Lagos State to conclude the “Game on” football competition.