Geovanni Solinas, the Italian coach of Al Merikkh FC from Sudan, has praised the quick reflexes of Ojo Olorunleke, the Super Eagles goalkeeper currently playing for the Sudanese club. Solinas noted that while Olorunleke, formerly with Enyimba, has impressive reactions, he still needs to adapt to the team’s playing philosophy.
“But I am confident because the guy has a good reaction,” Solinas remarked, highlighting Olorunleke’s potential.
The coach emphasized the importance of integrating the goalkeeper into the team’s buildup play, stating, “I want him to play from the start, with build-up from the goalkeeper. I want him to put his mind in this philosophy. He is an extra defender. He has to play like an extra defender.”
Acknowledging the challenges of instilling this approach, Solinas added, “We need time to put this philosophy into play because it is not easy.”
Reflecting on their recent 1-0 victory over 3SC in the Value Jet Preseason tournament in Ikenne, Solinas had words of respect for his opponents. “Our opponents are good, very good because I did my research and learned that they came fourth last season. So I told my team, guys, today you play a tough team. Be careful, pay attention because the opponent is good.”
On the match itself, Solinas commented, “The game was tight. The second half, maybe we deserved the win. The first half was balanced.”
Looking ahead, the coach expressed optimism about Al Merikkh’s potential to improve throughout the tournament, stating, “We came into this game only four days into the competition. We had only four days of training sessions. I believe that in time we can improve. Step by step our physical condition we needed time to master our strategy and our philosophy.”
Solinas brings a wealth of experience from his coaching stints in North Africa, including Algeria and Tunisia, as well as a tenure in Saudi Arabia.
