By NAN
Optimum Football Club on Thursday in Abuja drew goalless with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) FC in one of the matches of the ongoing 2013 FCT pre-season tournament.
In the match played at the Area 3 Sports Complex, both teams battled to a scoreless end after a pulsating encounter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament is being organised by the FCT Chapter of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA).
It is designed to help prepare the FCT-based clubs campaigning in the national leagues for the challenges of the new league season.
Sherriff Ajibola, the assistant coach of Optimum FC, however commended his players for their performance in spite of the result.
He said his team could not win the encounter because of the number of matches it had played so far in the tournament.
“We performed very well, although there is a little pressure on the boys. This is because we have been having series of matches to play since Tuesday.
“But we are the current champions of the FCT Football League, and we therefore expect nothing other than winning the competition,’’ the coach said.
Ajibola also said the club would go back to the drawing board to correct some of the mistakes it made during the match.
On his part, Uche Okagbue, the FRSC FC coach, said he was not disappointed with his team’s performance.
He however lauded the efforts of the NFCA in organising the tournament.
“The players did well in the match, as we are still building.
“However, I must say that the tournament is a good one because it is an opportunity to train and select players for the new football league season.
“It is only in tournaments like this that we see the weakness of players and map out ways to correct them. I therefore commend the NFCA.
“As for our expectations from the tournament, we still have matches to play and we hope that we will emerge victorious at the end,’’ Okagbue said.
NAN recalls that 12 clubs are taking part in the competition which is in its 14th edition.
The tournament which kicked off on Monday, Nov. 25 will end on Sunday, Dec. 1.
