NAVUA mounted a second half comeback to hold Rewa to a 1-all draw in round 13 of the Extra Premier League at the Uprising Sports Centre yesterday.
New Navua coach Maxwell Thaggard, better known as Babs Khan said it was a performance that showed progress.
“We talked about it from the start, Rewa has been doing this for the last five years,” Khan said.
“I’ve only been with this team for about a month since taking over from Saiyad Ali. It’s not easy, but the confidence is slowly coming.”
Rewa made their mark early, scoring within seconds from the opening whistle.
But the Blue Gas sponsored Navua side regrouped and grew into the match, frustrating Rewa’s attack and earning their equaliser in the second half.
“I guess we just weren’t ready at the start,” Khan admitted. “There were some things we discussed, and the boys were still adjusting. But credit to them, they stuck to the plan.”
Khan said he encouraged his players at halftime to remain calm and believe in themselves.
“I just told them to be patient. Believe in yourself and the goal will come,” he said.
Preparation for the game wasn’t ideal, Khan revealed, but better than what the team was used to.
“In Fiji, you can never expect 100% turnout at training,” he said.
“But this time, we had 80%, which was a big improvement. You can see the commitment. I also want to thank Saiyad Ali for keeping the team steady before I came in.”
Khan said the team is starting to understand his playing style, especially with more focus on keeping possession rather than long balls.
“We’re starting to knock the ball around more. The longer I stay with them, the better they’ll understand football,” he said.
Looking ahead, Khan said the key area to work on is building the team’s confidence.
