Akintola Confident Ahead of Fenerbahçe Clash: ‘We Can Hurt Them’ – Rizespor’s Ambitions for the Season

Rizespor’s Akintola Confident Ahead of Fenerbahçe Clash: “I Think We Can Hurt Them…”

Çaykur Rizespor is continuing their preparations for the Fenerbahçe match at full speed. Before the training session led by Head Coach İlhan Palut at Mehmet Cengiz Training Facility, the 28-year-old Nigerian right winger David Akintola answered questions from journalists.

Expressing his excitement for the season to begin, David Akintola said, “We know the kind of opponent we will be facing. We’ll be up against one of the best teams in Turkey. They have a great squad, but we’ve also made a strong start to the league. We will keep this momentum going. Playing at home is an advantage for us. We will do our best to achieve a good result together with our fans. Our preparations are always the same. We approach every match in the same way. For us, the best coach is our own, İlhan. Of course, Mourinho is a famous coach, but what’s important for us is what our coach tells us. We want to give our fans a good match to watch. We’re playing good football, and we want to keep this up to win the match. Our team is at a very good level this season. New players have also joined, and they’re making valuable contributions to the team. We want to develop ourselves further this season. I hope I can contribute more with assists and goals. I want to push myself harder. Our preparations have gone well, and our coach has given me great support and confidence. I was very excited for the season to start.”

“We Want to Win by Playing Good Football”

Speaking about their goals, Akintola said, “Our goal is always the same—to finish the league in the highest possible position. Every team wants to win the league. If we have a chance, we will fight for it. The league is a tough marathon. During this period, we need strong support from our fans. We don’t just want to win; we want to win by playing good football. I hope we can finish this season with a great result. We will stick to our plan. I believe we can hurt Fenerbahçe. We have new players who have strengthened our squad. We are focused on taking 3 points from the Fenerbahçe match. We’re not stepping onto the pitch to lose or to draw.”