AITEO Cup giant killers Smart City FC reveal secret behind success

The 2019 AITEO Cup giant killers, Smart City FC, says the secret behind the club’s fairy tale run at the ongoing competition which saw them defeat big teams like Enyimba International FC of Aba and 3SC of Ibadan is the players’ zeal to make great name for themselves.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Smart City defeated the defending champions of the Lagos AITEO Cup and have been in an imperious form at the ongoing competition.
The non-league playing side was able to outscore the 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League and four-time winners of the competition in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2014, Enyimba International of Aba, fondly called the Peoples Elephant, 3-2 in the Round of 64.
The academy club also went on to send Shooting Stars of Ibadan packing from the competition on Sunday via penalty after the a goalless draw.
On the secret behind the success of the club, the Media Officer, Olakunle Fashola, told NAN on Tuesday in Lagos that the players were aiming to make great names in the history of the competition.
Fashola said: “We are fired up now and there is no stopping us.
“The secret is that the players are trying to make great names for themselves.
“We have great names for now.
“The next plan is to plan ahead to play our next opponent, Niger Tornadoes.
“We believe that we can win the competition.
“We are determined to do that for our fans.
“We have accepted the tag ‘giant killers; because that is what we are.
“The players are putting much energy into playing the game now.
“We want to return to Lagos with our head up having a nice time in the AITEO Cup.”
Fashola said the four-year-old club did not aim for trophies at the initial stage, but the things evolving had moulded the club into what it is.
He said: “We thank God for where we are now, but this is not the way we started the club about four years ago.
“The aim of the club is just to keep playing and not for trophies yet.
“But things have changed now because we now have a team good enough that always want to come together to play.
“Last year, we were unlucky when we were defeated at the finals of Lagos AITEO Cup by MFM FC and came out runners-up.
“After this, we sat back to learn from our mistakes.
“We are then determined to do things differently and do well.
“However, we grateful to the management of the club and the players for their resilience in aiming for greatness.”
NAN.