Matchday three in the NPFL saw few goals across all venues but one of the venues which contributed to that was the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos where MFM FC recorded a slim win over Plateau United to earn their first points of the season.
MFM FC lost their opening two fixtures to newly promoted Remo Stars and high flying Rivers United which saw the bottom of the table at the start of Matchday three which made this win more important as technical adviser of the side Sola Balogun stated that there was pressure on him to win as he reflected in how the win felt.
“Well, I’m very happy because the pressure is too much on me after losing the first and second game,” he told Sports247. “Lagosian love good football so I tried speaking with my boys that this game must be won and gracefully we got it,” Sola said.
Speaking on adaptation to the playing surface, the Agege based side are away from their usual turf in the Agege Stadium and now play on natural grass and Sola Balogun believes with time his lads will get accustomed to the pitch.
“We’ve not adapted to the pitch, we’ve not gotten it right there because we train on astroturf and we’re used to it but nevertheless, we’ll adapt to this surface as well,” he said.
MFM FC were without their most creative midfielder in the side, Akanni Elijah, and many were shocked by the decision even as their main striker Oyedele Adebayo suffered a concussion injury after going for an airball with a Plateau player, and the technical adviser provided information on both situations.
“Akanni Elijah is injured, that’s why he was not in the squad. When he got injured it put me in a real thinking mode because he’s the number one creative player in the team,” Sola Balogun said.“ “We see that the injury to Bayo is not so much serious. Initially, we thought it was serious because it had to the with the head so we were careful but I spoke to him in the dressing room and after the goal, he was jumping so it’s not serious,” he added.
The coach however in a comedic fashion have credited the goal to some form of the spirituality of the club being a church-owned team to the amusement of reporters.
“I had sleepless nights before this game. I was playing against my son and boss at the same time who brought me to MFM FC and the philosophy he brought to the side hasn’t been changed so I knew he knew the club well. After two games without putting something in the net, in fact, we look at this goal as a church that we are as a spiritual effect because I’ve tried all I knew yet we didn’t score,” he said.
The win lifts MFM FC away from the bottom of the table pending the other results from Matchday three.
