Faith moves mountains as Apollon hold Lazio
Thursday, October 24, 2013
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"Nobody outside Cyprus believed we could get a draw against Lazio," beamed midfielder Rachid Hamdani after a 0-0 draw raised Apollon Limassol FC's spirits in Group J.
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Apollon Limassol FC players were thrilled to have held SS Lazio to a 0-0 draw in Nicosia in UEFA Europa League Group J, with goalkeeper Bruno Vale hoping that their growing belief could propel his side to greater successes – starting with the matchday four return fixture in Rome.
Rachid Hamdani, Apollon midfielder
The result is very good for us. Playing against Lazio, getting a draw and having a good game: it is not something that happens every day, so we are happy with what we did. You never know what might happen in this group. We have to play the next game in Rome and we will see what we can achieve. We will do our best to get a good result there too. Anything is possible in football. I think nobody outside Cyprus believed that we could get a draw against Lazio, but we did it. Now, we hope we can do the same and even better in the next game.
Bruno Vale, Apollon goalkeeper
Of course, the result is very good for us. We tried hard and we can be happy with what we got from the game. We will try to play even better in Rome and get a good result there too. In football, you should always aim for the best and have faith in what you are doing. Even though we know it won't be easy at all, we believe that we can still qualify for the next phase.
Christakis Christoforou, Apollon coach
In my opinion, Lazio are the best team in the group. The fact that the final will take place in Italy is extra motivation for both Lazio and Fiorentina. The game was pretty cagey but at one point it opened up and the chances flew in.
My players exceeded themselves and they deservedly earned the point. I want to thank the fans for their support. Without them, who knows where we would be? We will continue to work hard for the best in this competition. What is for sure is that we are gaining valuable experience with every game that passes in the Europa League. This draw will also help our club financially.
Ogenyi Onazi, Lazio midfielder
Our target was to win this game. We did our best but the goals never came. We believe that in the next game, in Rome, we will take the three points, so we can be in a comfortable position in the group.
