By Oluwakemi Peters
The Department of Economics emerged champions of the SOSSA DEAN'S CUP after defeating Sociology 2-1 in a thrilling final, completing a remarkable comeback built on redemption and determination.
For Economics captain, Raji Lateef, the victory was a fulfilment of the promise made after losing to political science in the previous Dean's Cup Reflecting on this achievement, Lateef said
"It means a lot to me because the last dean’s cup final wasn’t on our favor we lost to political science and from that day we made a statement that we will be back and we came back and fought for it".
The statement captured Economics’ journey from heartbreak to glory, as they returned this season determined to make things right, with the captain insisting there was never any doubt about winning the title.
"At the very start of the competition, I strongly believe we will be emerged the winner at the end." Lateef added.
Economics' success in today's match was rooted in hard work and discipline set by their coach. Lateef gave credit to their coach for emphasizing intensity throughout training and while on field.
"The coach always tells us to run every time, so it changes the intensity of the game. By doing that, we are able to press and force the opponent to play to our game. "
While individual performances played a role, Lateef said the team’s biggest strength was their unity, adding that it was the strong bond among the players that carried them to victory.
"The love and the unity between us bring us this far." He noted.
Coach Owosina Oluwasegun also praised the team's mentality, describing it as a key factor in the success of the game.
"Honestly! The mentality. Talent wins group games, but what impressed me most about these players is the mindset. We play for each other, not stats. We don't fold when we're down. Lastly, we learn fast. " He noted.
The coach said tactics were already clear to the players, so he made little change for the final and focused more on motivating them, trusting their understanding of the game plan.
"I didn't do many tactics in the Dean's Cup final because my players knew what I'm expected of them. I just gave them some words of encouragement. The first time was great, but we needed to do it again. "
Oluwasegun described the win as a reward for hard work and perseverance.
"It feels great, and being crowned as the champions tell that hard work really pays. I'm honoured and excited to lead NESA to glory after years of downtime."
For the man of the match, hammed Ajiroba, the victory of the match was beyond great.
" The feeling was nice plus knowing I scored 2 goals in by the final."
Even after winning the championship, both the captain and coach admitted there is still room for improvement. Lateef highlighted them improving on goal scoring while Coach Oluwasegun pointed to training consistency and game management.
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