Real Sapphire FC’s coach, Abidemi Onaolapo has declared that his side will keep fighting till their last match, in order to achieve top spot on the final table of Lagos zone in the Nationwide League One (NLO).
Onaolapo, fondly called ‘Coach Barthez’, declared as much after his side eked out a hard earned 2-0 victory against fourth placed Crime Fighters FC at Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle on Monday.
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The victory kept Real Sapphire in second place, with 16 points, behind First Bank, who have 19 points and pulled off a sensational 12-1 win over Zenith Emperor same day at the same venue.
Although the wide margin appears to have given First Bank goals advantage in case of a tie, Onaolapo insisted that his side still have a chance of finishing top because they have a game in hand.
He, however, admitted that his players have to put in more effort than they did in Monday’s win, though he also accused the opponents of employing rough tactics against his side.
Onaolapo analysed, “This game was not an easy one. In another way, it was still easy for me; but I can not enter the field and play for my boys.
“If the boys had listened to the instructions of the coach and kept the ball simple, it would have been easy for us. It would not have been hard for us. That’s what I saw about the match.
“At the same time, the opponent did not come to play. They just came to kick and be hard on my boys. I had to pass a message to the boys to do it simple, so that the result could come.”
He then spoke about the mammoth victory that First Bank achieved minutes before his team struggled to snatch three points, but the amiable gaffer stressed that it does not put him or his players under pressure.
“It does not mean pressure to me, and it’s not pressure for my boys. What we believe is that, at the end of the league, we will know who will top.
“We played well today, and we got victory. We still have more matches to go. So, I’m not relenting, and we’ll continue playing until the end of the day,” Onaolapo submitted
