Pepsi Expresses Satisfaction with Academy’s Performance against Barcelona at Copa Lagos

Pepsi Football Academy team pose before their match against Barcelona Beach Soccer team at Copa Lagos at the weekend.

 

 

 

Amidst frenzy and excitement, the much talked about match between Pepsi Football Academy and FC Barcelona Beach Team took place last Friday at the sandy Eko Atlantic Beach, Lagos.

Indeed many pundits had dubbed it a mismatch as the almighty Barcelona Beach Soccer team with professional players were expected to whack the largely amateur Pepsi Football Academy lads. So it seemed when Barcelona team raced to a 4 – 0 lead in the second quarter of the match.

Either that the Pepsi Academy boys were too fearful, respectful, awed or star struck by the name Barcelona, they were content running round without much treat. But this is a Barcelona Beach soccer team. No Messi. No Neymar. No Suarez the enfant terrible of Anfield now born-again at Nou Camp.

But a very delightful strike by one the Pepsi Academy boys towards the end of the second quarter gave the team belief.

From then it was ding dong affair as they took the game to the Barcelona team which showed much dexterity on sound as their colleagues on grass.

At a point it was 6 – 4 in favour of Barcelona with Pepsi lads pushing for the equaliser. But a last strike ensured that the match ended 7 – 4 in favour of Barcelona. For the Pepsi Academy boys they gave their best. They were not humiliated. The snag was that the players did not exchange jerseys at the end of the match. It would be a gesture to treasure for the Pepsi boys to have Barcelona jersey in their cabinet.

R-L: Director, Pepsi Football Academy, Chief Kashimawo Laloko(1st right), Head Marketing, Seven-Up Bottling  Company, Mr. Norden Thurston(3^rd left) and Brand Manager, Seven-Up Bottling Company, Mr. Segun  Ogunleye(2^nd left) pose with Pepsi Football Academy and Barcelona F.C players  after their match Copa Lagos at the weekend.

Head of Marketing, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc, Mr.  Norden Thurston said after the match: “Pepsi Football Academy playing against a team as big as FC Barcelona Beach soccer team is a great opportunity for the lads to gain more exposure and belief. It is a fantastic achievement not just playing against FC Barcelona but also scoring against them. When the score was 6-4 we had opportunity to make it 6-5, I said to myself, oh my God I think we can win this but we lost 7-4 to a more mature team not just in age but exposure to the game. The PFA only started playing beach soccer barely a month ago. It’s an amazing achievement and Pepsi is very proud of the academy.”

Director of Pepsi Football Academy, Chief Laloko Kashimawo said: “We have many opportunities to level up but it’s just because our boys were inexperienced. Playing grass football is different from beach football. If you have the chance here and you don’t take it, you get punished. We had every opportunity to win but we thank God we gave a respectable performance.