Real Sapphire FC’s coach, Abidemi Onaolapo (aka Barthez) has opened up on reasons why his side settled for a 1-1 draw with First Bank FC in their latest match of the third-tier Nationwide League One (NLO).
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While reflecting on his team’s performance during the tipsy-turvey match at Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle, Lagos, the man fondly called Coach Barthez admitted that his star player, Musa Akinfenwa, was caged by The Elephant Boys.
Incidentally, Musa has scored nine of Real Sapphire’s total haul of 21 goals overall in the NLO, thereby making him a marked man in the team owned by Uk-based football zealot, Frank Peters, and whose camp is located on Victoria Island.
Consequently, with First Bank’s defence line placing two players on Musa for the duration of his stay in Saturday’s game, it turned out to be a torrid morning for the club that produced Bayer Leverkusen of Germany sensation, Victor Boniface and former under-23 national team ace, Saturday Ekejo.
The result also left First Bank top of the NLO Lagos zone’s table with 16 points, followed by Real Sapphire on 15, but Onaolapo’s squad have a game in hand, which will be against third placed Crime Fighters FC on Monday.
Heading into that match at the start of next week, Onaolapo picked positives from Saturday’s draw with First Bank, but admitted that his players have to step up their efforts, as Crime Fighters also have 10 points on the log.
Onaolapo first took a closer look at Saturday’s game and acknowledged the long-standing rivalry excluding between both clubs, which ultimately accounted for the tough nature of their encounter.
“The result is not bad, because First Bank have a good team. They are tactically sound and physically fit,” the ambitious gaffer began.
“We are also tactically sound, but both teams are rivals. This is the third league season in which we are facing them. It’s either we first them to score or we force them to a draw. First Bank always give us a tough time.
“I know First Bank is a good team, and they always give us a tough challenge; but one day, I know I will defeat First Bank.”
Coach Barthez then expressed his thoughts about the tactics employed for Saturday’s game by First Bank’s coach, Gaffar Mohammed, whom he believes must have thoroughly studied his side’s tactical approach before the game.
He reckoned further, “When we are playing a good side, we have to prepare well. The same happens when they want to play a good side like Real Sapphire. They will go to YouTube to see the way Real Sapphire is playing.
“They know that our top scorer, Musa, is a very fantastic player, and they know that he is very fast – like Messi, like Ronaldo. That’s why they caged Musa with two players.
“We observed that Musa could not penetrate First Bank’s defence. So, we substituted him and brought in somebody who could meet up, and it worked.”
Onaolapo then posited with enthusiasm that his side’s promotion surge is intact, adding: “We are still eyeing the top because we have the advantage of our outstanding match to play.
“We will do everything to win our remaining matches and get total points from all of them. I believe that we still have total positive chances.”
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