Brikama Utd handed Real de Banjul their second defeat of the season as they went on to curtail the Whites unbeaten home record. Real have gone 13 games unbeaten at the Basori ground since their 3-1 defeat against Banjul Utd in April 2024.
Lamin Sibi’s fourth league goal of the season at the stroke of the first half was enough for the 2014 champions. The Alkamba Times sports desk caught up with the head coach, Modou Lamin Sarr, and goal scorer, Lamin Sibi, for their post-match reactions.
“We went for a win; we were cool-headed, knowing that Real de Banjul is not our problem. I am happy with my goal. Before the game, their coach spoke about our visit to Basori Live Your Dreams field, mentioning that we would lose with 3-0. We didn’t pay attention to it, nor did we have pressure facing the champions; we turned his words to motivation.” Lamin Sibi stated.
Coach Sarr, who now has recorded two wins and one draw against the defending champions, said “Real de Banjul wins at home because it comes with lots of pressure, the pressure of the must-win home games compared to when they play away from home. We work so hard for the game against Real; we are trying to improve our every game, working on the players development. We also work a lot on the psychology of the players, especially in big games. The current crop of players is very young, and such victories take them a long way.”
“We are developing our mental fortitude game after game, especially meeting Hawks, Fortune, and Real de Banjul in a row. The team is putting up a good result; collecting seven points is very good and a good sign for the future.”
He also lauded Lamin Sibi for his exploits which has propelled the team forward.
“Lamin Sibi scored very crucial goals for us last season, and he will help us a lot too in this campaign. He has scored against Hawks and Real this campaign; he will only grow.”
Sarr was asked if his compatriot Ebrima Gibba’s comments mind games or overconfidence.
“I don’t focus on the opponent team; 90% of the time I focus on my team, with game intelligence and areas for improvement, and it always pays dividends. Maybe he was using those remarks as motivation and distracting the opponent; however, he is a very good coach and disciplinarian. However, these are things that you can learn from.”
Real de Banjul’s defeat didn’t shake the table standing as both contenders, Fortune FC and BST Galaxy, lost their Sunday fixtures 2-1 & 1-0 against Armed Forces and Bombada, respectively.
