Head Coach of Abakaliki FC, StarPlus Anistar, has urged fans not to loose hope following his team’s 1-0 home loss to Osun United FC at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki.
The defeat marks Abakaliki FC’s first home loss of the season, ending an impressive run in front of their supporters.
Speaking after the match, a disappointed Anistar admitted that his side fell below expectations, particularly in the first half.
“Normally, that’s football. Even though we have a strange feeling about it because we’ve never had this experience this season, it’s our first home loss and I’m not just looking at the scoreline but at the performance,” he said.
“The team performed below their standard in the first half. There are many factors that can be attributed to it, but as the coach of the team, I take responsibility for what happened today.
"We will go back to the drawing board and work on the team.”
The coach noted that his players started sluggishly, a sharp contrast to their usual high-intensity approach.
“This particular game, our team started very sluggish in the first half, which is not our style. We always start with intensity. You could see that the Osun team came tactically prepared. Kudos to them as their delay approach worked and they took the three points,” he added.
Despite the setback, Anistar urged fans not to lose hope, stressing that the season is far from over.
“To our fans, don’t give up. We have not lost hope. We still have six games to the end of the season. We are going to Lagos this weekend, and that game is a make-or-mar affair. We will prepare to recover the points we lost at home, just like in the opening game when we lost at home and won away,” he assured.
On the other hand, Technical Adviser of Osun United FC, Akinade Onigbinde, expressed delight over his team’s disciplined performance.
“They came to our home and drew with us, so we knew Abakaliki FC is a good side. We had to double our effort knowing they have good players. To God be the glory, the boys played according to our game plan,” he said.
Onigbinde revealed that tactical substitutions in the second half proved decisive.
“After the first half, we brought in experienced players who gave us the victory. One thing about football is that sometimes it won’t be your day. They created good scoring opportunities but the goal didn’t come. Abakaliki is a good side, but it was not their day.”
He added that his team would now shift focus to their next fixture against Akwa United, describing them as another formidable opponent.
The result leaves Abakaliki FC with work to do as the season enters its decisive stretch, while Osun United FC boosts its campaign with a valuable away victory.
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