In the Monday Nationwide League One match between Crime Fighters FC and Real Sapphire FC, the latter emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline.
Despite the loss, Oluwa Sulaiman, the central defender and captain of Crime Fighters, shared his thoughts on the game and his team’s performance.
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“We tried to give everything. We tried to give our best,” Sulaiman stated in an interview with Sports 247.
“Our opponents, Real Sapphire, are a very good side and they are in contention for qualification for the playoffs.”
Acknowledging the strength of their opponents, Sulaiman emphasized that Crime Fighters aimed to play for pride and minimize the scoreline. “At least 2-0 is not a bad result. We tried our best. We gave it our all,” he remarked.
Looking ahead to their next match against First Bank FC, Sulaiman expressed awareness of the challenges posed by the table-topping team.
“First Bank, they are the ones topping the group for now. And as it is now, they have a lot of goals,” he noted. “So while we are going to face them on Wednesday, we will be mindful of how we attack.”
Regarding the physicality of the game and the strategy employed by Crime Fighters, Sulaiman clarified that rough tackles were not part of their plan.
“The rough tackle is not part of the strategy. But it is what it is. We just have to give our all,” he explained. “Without us going fully man-to-man, bone-to-bone marking with them, we would have been punished.”
While Sulaiman expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, he also highlighted concerns about the officiating.
“Had it been the officials giving us a 50-50 officiating, it would have been better,” he commented. “There are some kinds of fouls that the referee was not picking, which is not a good one for us.”
In conclusion, Sulaiman called for improved officiating standards in grassroots football and emphasized the need for encouragement among players and officials alike.
Despite the challenges faced, he remained optimistic about Crime Fighters’ future performances in the remainder of the league.
