Following a damaging 5-1 loss to First Bank FC in their first match of the Nationwide League One (NLO) new season on Saturday, Collins Edwin Sports Club have quickly turned their focus on seeking a revival from their next match.
This was revealed by the Surulere-based club’s captain, Abdulmalik Muhammed, as he took stock of their disastrous opening match at Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle, and admitted that they must do better in their next game.
Incidentally, Collins Edwin’s next opponents, Valiant FC, also lost on the opening day in Ajegunle, as they fell 3-2 against Crime Fighters FC and will also be eager for victory in their next outing of the new season.
That sets the stage for a potentially explosive clash between both losers when they lock horns at the same venue on Tuesday, but Muhammed is staying up beat for a decent result that would put The Gladiators back on track in the NLO.
He expressed hope for a revival based on what he saw from his colleagues in the first 45 minutes of Saturday’s opening day defeat.
The starry-eyed skipper declared: “The game was so fantastic in the first half, but in the second half, we found it so difficult.”
He went on to hazard explanations of why his team imploded and pointed out that inexperience was their biggest ondoing, which made them concede possession to their opponents most of the time during the run of play.
Muhammed added: “This is the first time in the league for many of us. This is the first experience at this level for most of our players.
“We tried to keep the ball, but, unfortunately, we eventually lost the game. All the same, we have to thank God for a successful game.”
The youngster then admitted that they have to quickly put the defeat behind them and concentrate on their next match versus Valiant FC.
“For the next game, we will do better. We will try to keep the ball and try to play as much as possible, the best way that we can.
“I will try to encourage my colleagues to get back into the game. I believe most of them have the confidence to play; but they could not cope due to the situation in which we found ourselves.
“We’ll keep pushing hard and, for the next game, I believe we’ll turn up our efforts to get a better result,” Muhammed enthused.
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