20th May, 2010
Lateef Ishola, Team Manager of Rising Stars Football Club of Isolo speaks with SUNDAY AKINTOYE about the poor performance of his team in recent competitions
Q: Rising Stars did not take part in the recently concluded Lagos State Challenge Cup, what happened?
A: The club had no money to register for the championship. The people who were supposed to sponsor us were not around. It was so painful that Rising Stars did not take part in the Lagos FA Cup.
Q: Do you regret not playing the Lagos FA Cup this year?
A: It’s a painful regret that we could not play in the biggest competition in Lagos State. When the players realised that we won’t play in the FA Cup, they dumped my club for other teams, which had registered for the championship.
Q: So what championship are you preparing for now?
A: Presently, we are preparing for the Oba’s Cup and the state’s league, which will be played after the World Cup.
Q: Is your club taking part in the ongoing Boska Cup?
A: We had a disappointing outing in the Boska Cup. We lost 0-1 to All Stars FC of Ipaja. My players did not live up to expectation and they paid dearly for it.
Q: We were told that your team represented Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the on going Governor’s Cup, tell us about the team’s performance.
A: My team also crashed out in the group stage. We did not qualify for the next round. That is why I sacked some players and replaced them with a new set of players. I am not happy with the team’s performance in recent times. I’m thinking of sacking some other players because I don’t want to tolerate indiscipline in the team.
Q: When was the club established?
A: The club was founded in 1997 with 18 players. Today, I have at least 40 players in the team.