MATCH DETAILS

Akwa United vs Sporting Lagos

Sunday, March 15 3:00 PM Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo.

Stream Here!

THE STATE OF THE GROUP

After our win against Abakaliki FC in the last matchday, we closed the gap with Akwa United to one point. We now have the chance to go top of the table this Sunday at the Uyo Township Stadium.

OPPOSITION SPOTLIGHT

Akwa United comes into this game after a loss against Osun United. Despite the loss, they lead the group with one point with eight (8) wins and one (1) draw in 13 matches. They also have the best defence in the league, conceding only 10 goals so far.

In the reverse fixture earlier this season, we won 2 -0 at the Onikan Stadium, with goals from Victor Samuel and Ibrahim Mohammed.

Our ex-coach, Paul Offor, will be on the touchline leading Akwa. 

WHAT TO EXPECT

This match is our most important match so far this season. We will look to assert ourselves early, control the tempo, be effective in the attacking phase, and play with the proactive, front-foot style we’ve committed to this season. The only promotion spot is on the line in this match; this is an opportunity for us to go top of the log and move one step closer to promotion.

TEAM NEWS

Seun Akanji is unfortunately out with a back problem picked up in a recent match against Abakaliki FC.

Chidera is still recovering from a muscle injury.

Ibrahim is back after a brief illness.

COACH JEFF SPEAKS

With just one point separating Sporting Lagos and Akwa United at the top of the table, how do you approach a game like this without letting the magnitude of the moment distract from the team’s usual process?

“The game is the game, the situation is the situation. No matter how you try to mitigate it, do not let it put pressure on you; it still boils down to what is required. We have to play a good game; we have to play it like we want to take something out of it. It's what we want to do. So, we're going to approach it with the right mindset. We try to enjoy it regardless of the pressure. And hopefully at the end, we'll be where we want to be, which is at the top of the table.”

When you go into a match like this away from home, how do you balance staying true to the Sporting Lagos style of play while also adapting to the specific threats of the opponent?

“Every opponent poses a different threat. Every game is different from the last one. So, we have to analyse the opponent, see where they are strong, see where they are weak, and use our own game principles and ideas, and philosophy to exploit their spaces, also trying to nullify their strengths. It’s finding solutions inside our own way of doing things, not going totally out of our way to get the result. But we can always find solutions inside the Sporting Lagos way that we have built. So, it's just finding those solutions to the problems we’re most likely going to face.”

Top-of-the-table games can often be decided by very small moments, whether it’s concentration, transitions, or set pieces, which usually require a balance between patience and aggression. How do you approach finding that balance in a game like this?

“The last games we played, we tried to make sure that we don't lose our concentration or lose focus at any point in the game, so that we can avoid certain situations. So, games like this require more than just regular effort. They require extra effort. In some cases, be abnormally good so that you can come up with good results. The boys know what is required. They know the tasks they are coming up against. We are going to try to be 110%.

We have to identify the moment and or rather know and understand which moment requires which of the actions. When you understand what the different actions are and what the different requirements are, it's easy to find the balance and know where to apply it. That's part of what we've worked on during the course of the week: knowing when to be aggressive, knowing when to be patient, and letting the patience play out. Part of the learning process for the players and big games like this can also determine how far you have to come in understanding the game and we try our best to help them while on the field and show them which moments require which of the actions and just keep going. At the end of the day, they have to make the decisions, and we also have to make the decisions, and we have to make the right ones.”

What areas of the game do you feel could be most decisive in this matchup?

“It can be anyone, you can't be specific in this type of game because both teams play best quality, set-pieces, transitions. It's just to be very, very focused and concentrated, not to be caught off guard, and we will try to be on the front foot as much as we can, both in possession and out of possession, and in transition moments also. The game can be decided from any moment, it could be shot from outside the box, it could be a cross, it could be a throw-in, a corner-kick, you just have to be ready.”

We’ve seen moments this season where finishing and lack of defensive concentration have cost the team. Going into a tough away game against Akwa United, how confident are you in both areas?

“Regardless of the struggles we've had, we've been able to rise to the occasion. When we needed the result away at solution, we went there, we scored three goals, we didn't concede a goal. When we needed the result, at Godswill Akpabio, we went there,  we scored two goals, and we didn't concede a goal. If anything, we have shown that regardless of our struggles, we can still come out with results when need be, and these types of games are games where you have to be confident, you have to trust the process that you've been through. There is a reason we are one point behind them, which also shows how good we can be on our day or how good we are. We are confident going into the game; there is pressure on us, there is pressure on them as well, so we have to enjoy the moment as well and the pressure that comes with it. We are ready for the game.”

Akwa United have been very consistent this season, and they’ll have home advantage. What do you think has made them effective this year, and what kind of challenge does that present for the team?

“They are going to pose a different challenge. We are playing at the top of the table, technically, they are the best team in the league, so you know that you are going to experience a difficult game, but with that said, we are ready. We are also where we are for a reason because we are just as good. Every team in the group knows that, so as much as we are thinking about them and what they can possess, I'm sure they are also thinking about us and what we can possess, so we have to look more to ourselves in this type of game. Let's focus on doing the right thing at the right time and getting the right result.”

FROM COACH JEFF TO THE FANS

"At the start of the season, our message to you was clear, we are going to play a brag of football, that you will enjoy, we are going to give you our best and make sure, or try to make sure, that we gain promotion and we are still in touching distance, like right now, it's really just a point between us and first place and then four more games after Sunday. So, it's for you to just keep believing, I said it in the mid-season message, that we have to believe till the end, it's difficult, I know we've dropped points where we should pick points, we've lost a game, but again, we are still in the title race, it's one point, it's five more games, you have to keep believing and when you believe, we can all together achieve a lot of good things, so just keep believing in US."

HOW TO WATCH

We are hosting a watch party for our fans at Johnny Rockets. There will be prizes and merch to be won.

For fans who can’t make it to the watch party,

Stream here.

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