Floriana skipper Oualid El Hasni is in a fighting mood ahead of Saturday’s ‘title decider’ despite Saturday’s shock defeat against Marsaxlokk and said that the Greens still had their fate in their hands as victory over the Spartans on Saturday would put them back in the driving seat ahead of the championship finale.
Last weekend, Floriana were looking to restore their place at the top of the standings against Marsaxlokk.
However, a Sunday Akinbule goal late in the game condemned them to their third defeat of the season and left them one point behind Ħamrun Spartans with two matches to go.
Floriana skipper El Hasni said that it was hard to accept the result of Saturday’s match against Marsaxlokk but it will only spur the team to face next weekend’s match with maximum concentration.
“The sense of disappointment that one feels after a defeat is shared by everyone in the team,” El Hasni told the Times of Malta.
“But no doubt this setback can only help our team to prepare for our next match with maximum concentration.
“When you face a team that is continuously behind the ball it is very difficult to find space. But we did have our opportunities, particularly after ten minutes of play with Matheus. Had we scored from that opportunity I am sure that the match would have taken a different twist.
“In the second half, we tried to grab the winner, sending a lot of crosses but we couldn’t find the net.”
Saturday’s result has not reduced El Hasni’s conviction that Floriana has what it takes to beat Ħamrun Spartans on Saturday and move a step closer to winning the league title.
“We know that the match against Ħamrun Spartans is a huge opportunity for us to get back at the top of the Premier League standings,” he said.
“We are playing against the Malta champions but we firmly believe that we have the qualities needed to win the match. In the corresponding first-round fixtures we already gave them a good run for their money and put them in a lot of difficulty.
“I am sure that the defeat against Marsaxlokk can only increase our determination to get the win on Saturday. The team who will show the most hunger and ambition will triumph.”
