The author of the winning goal in his debut match for Dynamo, Shola Ogunbana, shared his emotions after the cup match against Oleksandria.
Shola Ogunbana. Photo: fcdynamo.com— Shola, how do you feel scoring the decisive goal in your debut match?
— I am very happy that my debut turned out this way — I scored a goal. I am very proud to play for this emblem, to represent one of the best clubs in Europe.
— Did you expect that you could score a goal today?
— To be honest, I prepared myself for the fact that if I went on the pitch, I had to score. And during the pre-match warm-up, I even thought about how I would celebrate my goal, what I would do. But when I scored, I was so excited that I forgot to do the planned celebration. But it doesn’t matter, I am very happy because I scored for the first time in my debut match.
— During the warm-up, you didn’t seem nervous about the possible debut, but rather a bit relaxed, joking a lot with your teammates…
— Of course, but that’s normal, we were just doing some tricks, playing a bit with the ball in a square, I want to emphasize that all the guys in the team are positive and very friendly. But when I went on the pitch, I was one hundred percent focused on the match, as were all our other players. Our task was to achieve a winning result. And after the game, we joked again. You always need to understand when it’s time for fun and when it’s time for serious matters.
— You replaced a player who got injured. Were you ready for such an early substitution?
— Everything is up to the coach’s decision. I am grateful to the head coach for trusting me with a place on the field, giving me the opportunity to show myself. I’m happy that I debuted for Dynamo.
— What was your personal instruction from the coach for the game?
— I was supposed to act wide on the flank, but at the right moment shift and burst into the center. In those moments, I had to play freely based on the situation, showcasing my best qualities, what I can do. Everything went wonderfully, and I’m glad that my actions helped our team achieve the result.
— How have your first two weeks at Dynamo been for you?
— Everything is great, I feel very comfortable working in this team — with all the coaches, teammates, team staff. A lot of conversations are held about the war. But this in no way affects my work; I work hard in training. I hope that very soon the suffering of this beautiful country will end. I feel very sorry for the people who have already died. Personally, I really like Ukraine and I am happy to play here.
