Crown FC head coach Ayodeji Ayeni has expressed confidence that his team will bounce back from their opening day defeat in the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 playoffs, maintaining that their promotion ambitions remain intact.
The Ajilete Warriors suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Kun Khalifat FC at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba on Saturday, putting early pressure on their campaign in the tournament that will determine which teams gain promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League.
Speaking after the match, Coach Ayeni emphasized that the tournament is far from over, describing it as a marathon rather than a sprint.
"As you can see, it is a marathon. It's not yet over for any team," Ayeni stated. "Our first match doesn't determine the league and ambition. We can go ahead and win the next two matches."
The defeat places Crown FC in a challenging position, but with two matches remaining in the round-robin format, they still have opportunities to secure the points needed for promotion.
Crown FC's next fixture is against Osun United on Monday, a match that has now taken on greater significance following their opening day setback. Osun United comes into the encounter with momentum after securing a victory in their first match of the Super 8 playoffs.
The NNL Super 8 playoffs feature the top teams from the regular season competing for limited promotion spots to Nigeria's top flight. Shooting Stars SC has reportedly backed Crown FC's promotion bid, adding another layer of expectation for the Ajilete Warriors.
Football analysts suggest that Crown FC will need to display greater attacking prowess in their remaining fixtures if they are to overcome this early setback and achieve their promotion target.
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