BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta

Real de Banjul captain and goalkeeper Lamin Saidy says he and his teammates learned their lessons from the Greater Tomorrow draw to bounce back and secure a win over PSV Wellingara at the FIFA Goal Project in Yundum.

“We have learned a lot from the draw against Greater Tomorrow and that helped us to win today,” Saidy in his post-match comments on Thursday.

Gambia U-20 striker Abdoulie Baldeh scored the only goal of the game while keeper Saidy and his defense line contained the host at the back to keep a clean sheet.

“It was an important victory for the team and a collective work to win all the three points. We have to win games to be on top,” the Real de Banjul captain said.

The City Boys are known of keeping the ball as their playing identity and playing from behind is the sought-after modern day football approach and Saidy is challenging himself to that task even though some people deem the approach too risky.

He said: “I respect the opinion of the fans and they’re just concerned which is normal. The coach (Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko) wants me to keep the ball. I do this in training and I have to show that here (in games). The coach has confidence in me to play like that, so I have to do it”.

The head coach, Zahovaiko, meanwhile was pleased to see his side improve from the Greater Tomorrow stalemate.

“I am happy that we did a good conclusion from the previous game. We really started well, we had the initiatives in our hands and we played much faster football. The opponent played good in defense but we tried and kept more intensive play,” the Estonian said.

He added: “We had a really good movement from Abdoulie Baldeh and he received a really good and perfect pass from Yaya Bojang and the way Abdoulie scored, I think it will be enjoyable to watch many, many, times.”

Slava made four changes to the team that started against Greater Tomorrow including the Gambia key players in The Gambia U20, stars, Alieu Gibba and Salifu Colley. “When our under 20 players cannot train with us the whole week it gives a negative impact to our game. So, I am responsible for the player’s health that was the reason two player (Gibba and Colley) could not start from the beginning, but I think the plan was okay. Baboucarr Jobe and Lay Colley are young and did they did what I asked them to do in the first half and somehow that was part of the plan”.

The City Boys will now shift their attention to the first derby of the season as they will host Wallidan FC at the Live Your Dream Sports Academy on Friday, the 27th of January 2023.