Captain Ghayas Zahid has put into words what the derby against Lillestrøm means for Vålerenga Fotball. After Friday's training, he called it Norway's toughest match and stressed the team must understand what the game means for everyone in and around the club.
- It's Norway's toughest match. It's about getting the lads to understand what that match means for everyone in and around Vålerenga. To bring out that little extra, push, and go into that match being 100 percent. Then it can be really fun, you know, Zahid told the club's own channels.
The captain's role an honour
Zahid led the team out as captain in the last match against Sarpsborg 08, a role he says he enjoys., It's been nice, and it's a role I enjoy. It's a great honour to be captain of a club like Vålerenga, he said. The match against Sarpsborg ended 2-2 after goals from Peder Strand and Gjermund Rajkovic in the final minutes, giving Vålerenga a point.
The form that must be turned around
The background for Zahid's strong words is the team's difficult form. In the last five matches, Vålerenga have been without a win, with two draws and three defeats. The latest loss came against Lillestrøm last Saturday, where the team lost 2-0 after goals from Ruben Gabrielsen and Thomas Lehne Olsen. This result places the team in a challenging position in the standings.
The way forward
To turn the trend around, the team must find the extra that Zahid speaks of. The next opportunity for points comes on Sunday 20 September, when Fredrikstad visit Intility Arena. Before that, however, awaits the intense local derby at Åråsen on Saturday, a match where Vålerenga need a completely different performance than last weekend to take anything from it.
