After a challenging start to the season, Suva registered its first win on Sunday, beating Nasinu 2-1 and moving out of the relegation zone.
Suva FA President Intiaz Khan has dedicated the victory to loyal fans who stood by the team through its win-less streak.
“Fans were unhappy, we didn’t have any wins for the past 4 matches, a lot was going on…so I’ll say this win is for the fans who were patient and trusted us.”
Despite the victory, Khan keeps a pragmatic outlook while maintaining a professional approach of the team.
“Yes, we are happy but we’re all professionals with football experience, we shouldn’t get too excited that we won, it’s a normal win and there’s a long road ahead of us and we’re just working towards it,” he explained.
He has appealed for support and respect towards the players/management and spoke candidly about the emotional toll of criticism on the team.
“Support the team, stop offending the players and the executives, it’s disheartening for the whole team and we feel the criticism which affects us all,” he remarked.
Khan is urging fans to keep faith and stay patient with the team, especially after the recent management shake-up.
He admits it’s tough to rebuild and improve, a challenge any new management will face and also pointed out that the team’s management receives no financial compensation and their main goal is to uplift the team and make the fans of Suva proud.
