Zenith Emperors FC of Ogba, Ikeja will aim to resurrect their fortunes in the Lagos zone of the Nationwide League One (NLO) when they tango Crime Fighters FC at Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle.
It is a must-win game for Coach Olawole Kamara’s side, following their 2-1 loss to newcomers, F8Ballers last Saturday at the same venue.
Missed efforts by Lekan Odewunmi and Samuel Abraham spelt doom for Zenith Emperors in the second half, though super-sub, Sunday Oluwaseun put them a goal up just two minutes after replacing Olamilekan Odebunmi in the 40th minute.
David Joseph levelled for F8Ballers with a 52nd-minute penalty, after which his side soon grabbed the second goal that gave them victory and shot them to fourth position on the log of the NLO Lagos zone.
Heading into this Friday’s match day two fixtures, Zenith Emperors hold onto seventh position, a spot behind Mavlon FC, who had the weekend off due to the odd number 11-team table.
Although Crime Fighters are ahead of his side in the fifth spot, Coach Kamara is enthusiastic that The Emperors can get victory on Friday; to boost their chances in subsequent games against three other opening day losers … Collins Edwin Sports Club, Valiant FC, and AS Racines.
Heading into those games, though, Kamara acknowledged that his side will have to hold firmly to a big lesson that they learnt from Saturday’s loss – in terms of converting every chance that comes their way.
He reasoned thus: “We learnt a lot from this match, most important of which is that we have to be clinical in front of goal. Nothing was stopping us from getting four, or five goals in the first half, but we got only one.
“The conversion rate was bad for us till we concluded the game. The tempo was high and good, but we could not score more goals.
“If we had converted our chances in the first half, there wouldn’t have been any power for them to come up strong the way they did in the second half.”
He also spoke about eventualities that turned the game against his side, starting with the penalty awarded to the opponents, but admitted it is all part of the drama in football.
“Regarding the penalty, I did not even see what happened. I saw a player injured, and I was even trying to make a change, only to see a penalty awarded against us. That’s football.
“It’s not something I planned for, because I thought nothing would stop me from coming out with three points, but those in football will tell you ‘That is football.’ It’s an eye-opener,” Kamara conceded.
He concluded with a revelation that he will tell his players to learn from their errors during Saturday’s game, to bounce back on Friday, while he will also check his tactical acumen to ensure his squad resurrect their ambition in the NLO.
“It’s something we should take home, think about, learn from it, and come out to fix the result in the next match.
“I’m cool-headed when it comes to this game. I carefully plan my sessions, and I always get ready for the match ahead of me. I am friendly and jovial, but I don’t joke with any match.
“This is our first match of the season. We still have about nine matches to go. We can still come out strong from our next match,” Kamara stated with an optimistic tone.
