Coach Gabriel Ezema of Inter Lagos FC has declared that he and his players will work harder in order to win their next two matches at the Nigerian National League (NNL) Super-8.
Speaking in the wake of his side’s 1-1 draw with local rivals, Ikorodu City, on Saturday, Coach Gabriel admitted that his players took their feet off the throttle and almost paid darely for it.
He, however, stressed that it was not due to complacency, which many observers believed was occasioned by their recent victory over the same team in the President Federation Cup.
However, rather than blame overconfidence or lethargy on the part of his players, Ezema reckoned that the game went the way it did due to the opponents’ determination to overcome their Lagos rivals.
He then commended his wards for storming from a goal down to draw the match and share the points at stake, but affirmed that they must win their remaining two group matches in order to qualify for the next round.
The soft-spoken tactician further noted that they cannot afford to underrate their other opponents, Beyond Limits of Ogun State and Madiba FC of Lagos, especially as his team got a big scare against Ikorodu City.
“The game was highly contested,” Ezema began. “The opponents scored very early in the game and that, in some way, triggered us to fight back; knowing it was a game from which we must get something out of it.
“We wanted to win, but, with a draw, we can look forward to the remaining two games.”
Coach Ezema added that he and his players will now concentrate on building a game plan for the other two group matches so that they will approach them both with the right mentality.
“There’s no small team in the playoffs. Every team in the playoff has a chance to qualify. So, we are not underrating any opponent.
“At the same time, we are not overrating any opponent. We just want to put in our best and win the games ahead of us.
“To go for victory, we have to work harder. We have to keep clean sheets, and we have to do everything we can on the pitch in order to win each game,” Ezema concluded.
