Victorious Lautoka Coach Ronil Kumar says good mental preparation helped them to beat crowd favorites Labasa 2-1 in the first semifinal of the 2023 Digicel Fiji FACT at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva today.
“It feels really good and I thank the boys for their hard work and the Almighty for his blessing on the team.”
“I told the boys that we need to be well prepared in our mental state and be physical to counter Labasa.”
“The boys were pretty hyped up physically and mentally knowing the importance of the match and they showed that in the game.”
The former Ba and national central midfielder added that the huge Labasa crowd failed to deter their spirit in the match.
“I told them not to be instigated by the crowd and just focus on the match, listen to what the coaches and team management say.”
“Sometimes we have to ignore the crowd and listen to the teammates on the pitch and that’s how we maintained our defence.”
“We told the boys not to panic in the game and avoid free kicks to avoid any surprises from Labasa.”
“I was impressed with the way our boys moved the ball and the way our defenders went onto the flanks to set up our midfield and forwards.”
Hyperchem Pharmacy sponsored Lautoka will face the winner of the Rewa vs Ba second semifinal in the grand final at 3pm tomorrow.