Milan FC have advanced to the quarterfinals of the ongoing Serrekunda East Sports Development Organisation (SESDO) Nawetan competition.
This followed their 5-4 victory over B. J. Academy on post-match penalty kicks after settling for a 1-1 draw on regulation time in a well-entertaining encounter played at the Serrekunda East Mini-stadium on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Amadou Camara put Milan FC ahead from a penalty spot while Abdou Karim Jallow levelled the score for B. J. Academy, thus the game ended 1-1 resulting in penalty kicks which ended 5-4 in favour of Milan FC.
Speaking to Pointsport, shortly after the game, Sheriff Sanneh, assistant coach of Milan FC, thanked their sponsors (Gamtel/Gamcel), saying “they are really facilitating the affairs of the team” and that they as players of the team really appreciate their sponsors’ contribution. “We hope the relationship will continue to go from strength to strength,” Sanneh said.
He described the win over their opponents as very important to them since they have been eliminated from the knockout trophy, adding that he hopes his boys continue the brilliant performance they put up against B. J. Academy, in their subsequent games of the competition.
He said that even though they scored first, they lacked concentration at the back, which resulted in them conceding an equalizer and that the win was due to determination.
“B. J. Academy made life difficult for us in this game but due to hard work, determination and composure we were able to win at the end of the day,” he said, while praising his boys for their performance.
“We have seen our mistakes and will go back and rectify them before our next game and we also hope to see better performance from our boys in our subsequent games,” he concluded.
Bubacarr Jallow, head coach of B. J. Academy, said the importance of keeping a team is to compete and that he was not happy his team lost because this means they have been eliminated from both trophies.
“In our team we don’t take players outside but only maintain our young players and I think sometimes football has to do with luck,” he said, adding that Milan FC have been competing in the Serrekunda East Nawetan competition for a decade now while his team is just two years old in the Nawetan.
“But that does not make any difference because this is football,” he said. “The one who lost his spot kick is one of our best players.” However, he added, he was happy with the performance of his team.
He also said their main aim was to avoid relegation, which they have achieved, adding that their group in the group stage of the competition was very tough but they managed to come out strong from the group.
“Our players are growing up and there are teams that have been competing in the Nawetan for a decade now but are yet to win a trophy,” he said, adding that they performed better last season because they reached the quarter- and semi-finals of the two trophies.
“But I think this is where our luck stops this year,” he noted. “I am sad but not angry towards the boys because they have been doing very well; otherwise we would not have reached this stage.”
He also said they are an academy different from other teams and that they would continue to train.
“Our aim is to always produce players and give them to divisional clubs,” he noted, saying that fans of the club might not understand but that penalty kicks is luck and that they have taken it in good faith.
