“Pressure? What Pressure?” Plato Academy not under any pressure after the departure of the ‘Golden Generation’, says Papi
Will Plato Academy continue its dominance in the university’s footballing world or will they be unable to uphold set standards following the graduation of what many consider the ‘Golden Generation’ of Plato Academy in recent years? This seems to be the question on everyone’s lips as the University gears up for a new football season with the SEALS Cup competition just around the corner.
Many have attributed Plato Academy's tremendous success last session, winning a treble out of 4 competitions it participated in and narrowly missing out on the 4th, largely to the contribution of the so-called “Golden Generation’ consisting of notable players such as Iyanu, Awo, Lakesjay, and Prime. However, in an exclusive interview with NAPS PRESS representative, Papi, the Charismatic Captain of the team this session, exudes confidence and dismisses the whispered notion that the team will struggle in the absence of these so-called Golden Generation by confidently saying, “I don't pay attention to whispers. Similar things were said at the beginning of last session and we all know how that panned out (the team won a treble of trophies). The team remains focused on giving its best on the pitch. Off-pitch chatter is of no relevance to us…It (Plato academy) is a team that has remained characterized by the desire of its players to win at all times, even when the odds are stacked against us. And while playing personnel changes every year, the (winning) culture remains ingrained in the team”. It’s safe to say he believes the current crop of players has everything it takes to get the job done.
When asked if there’s any pressure to meet and/or surpass the achievements made by the team last session, Papi was unequivocal. “No. Pressure only makes the job unnecessarily harder. We'll work hard and give our best. But there's no pressure on anyone beyond the normal one that comes with the desire to succeed,” he asserted.
Papi was clear and determined on what the team has its sights on when asked about the team’s goals for the session, “Aspiration for the team is for us to win (every) trophies as we do every year and keep the Plato Academy winning tradition alive,” he stated. To achieve these goals, training and preparation for the upcoming SEALS cup has been the key focuses of the team and according to Papi, they (Plato academy) have “been training and playing friendly matches to up our fitness and fine-tune the team in preparation for the coming competitions.” He also assured that, “It's a work in progress but I believe we'll be fully ready when the competitions commence.” The progress of these preparations could be seen in the friendly matches they’ve played so far wherein they won 1-nil and 2-nil against the departments of URP and KHE respectively but unfortunately suffered a 3-nil defeat against department of History.
Papi remained humble yet confident when talking about what to personally expect from him for the team in the coming competitions, “Same way I've been contributing in the past; with goals and in any other capacity the team needs me,” He stated calmly. Papi is well-known for his goals contributions; He’s the all-time leading goal scorer in the seals cup with a whopping 12 goals scored; you see Papi, you see goals. He’s also well-known for his wordie goals that leaves many onlookers shocked and marveled. In last session’s SEALS cup, He scored two goal of the best goals ever seen in the university, including one Van persie-esque goal against the department of Adult Education. It’s always exciting to watch Papi play.
Addressing the loyal fans of Plato Academy, Papi expressed deep appreciation and called for continued support. “We've made them proud these years just as much as they've given us the reasons and motivation to do so. I'm calling on them to not relent in providing us with their continued unwavering support and I believe we won't let them down,” he said.
As for the team's Haters, Papi was curt. “No, I don't (have words for them). The talking will be done on the field.”
As the SEALS CUP approaches, and as the DEFENDING CHAMPION of the competition, all eyes will be on Papi and Plato Academy to see if they can live up to the captain’s bold declarations, continue their winning tradition and show that Plato Academy is more than just a few players.
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