Head coach of Jendol Superstores, Bonny Alinta, has boldly declared his side the team to beat in the ongoing Island All-Stars Sports Club PatrickLingo Super League Football Tournament following their impressive 3-1 comeback victory over Wellborn Hotels at Lagos Business School.
Speaking exclusively to Sports247 after the Matchweek 3 encounter, Alinta expressed satisfaction with his team’s growing confidence, tactical improvement and determination to challenge for the tournament title.
Jendol Superstores recovered from conceding in the ninth minute to secure their first victory of the competition, extending their unbeaten start to two matches with four points.
‘We Are Getting Better With Every Game’
Assessing his team’s performance, Alinta explained that the victory reflected improvements made following their opening 1-1 draw against Daily Manna Bakery.
“Today’s performance was an improvement on what we saw last week. You could see the tactical changes we made, and they were reflected in the result,” he told Sports247.
“I can tell you that Team Jendol are the team to beat in this tournament because we are getting better with every game.
“We picked up one point last week and secured three points today. That is the kind of progress we want to maintain as we continue to make adjustments and improve our impact on the tournament.”
Tactical Changes Inspired Comeback
Jendol Superstores endured a difficult start when Wellborn Hotels captain Ezenwaka opened the scoring in the ninth minute.
However, Chibuike restored parity in the 30th minute before completing his brace three minutes after the restart. An own goal from Moloks subsequently sealed the 3-1 victory.
Alinta admitted that conceding early exposed weaknesses in his team’s midfield organisation.
“Conceding so early was a shock. Our midfielders were not compact enough, which allowed the opposition to score,” he explained.
“However, we made some changes immediately after conceding. I brought on a player who helped us improve our passing and ball distribution, and that contributed to us getting the equaliser.”
The coach further revealed that unexpected personnel issues before kickoff had disrupted his original tactical plans.
“As a coach, when you arrive on the morning of a match and discover that some of your first-choice players are not ready, it can disrupt your plans.
“His absence from the starting line-up affected our midfield balance, which contributed to us conceding an early goal.”
‘We Are Determined to Win This Tournament’
Looking ahead, Alinta insisted that Jendol Superstores possess the quality, organisation and administrative structure required to compete for the championship.
“As I said earlier, Team Jendol are the team to beat. It is not just about our style of play; our organisation is also top-notch,” he declared.
“We have some of the best football administrators and technical personnel, from the technical committee to the team manager and other members of the management team.
“Everyone is giving their best, both on and off the pitch. We are determined to win this tournament, and our sponsor has provided us with the support we need to compete and deliver results on the pitch.”
With four points from their opening two fixtures, Jendol Superstores have made an encouraging start to the competition.
For Coach Bonny Alinta, however, the ambition goes beyond remaining unbeaten. His message to the other teams is clear: Jendol Superstores are improving with every match, and they are determined to finish the tournament as champions.
