FC Sheriff

Cyrille Bayala: “We don’t expect an easy run”

FC Sheriff midfielder Cyrille Bayala talked about the Cup of African Nations and preparation for the second part of the season.

Cyrille, we congratulate you on the prize.
Thank you
What was the tournament like?
It was a good tournament for our team. It is great experience for me personally.
Do you have a sad feeling that Burkina Faso national team did not lose any match but took only third place?
Yes, I feel sorry about that because our goal was to take the first position. Of course, we are satisfied that we did not suffer any defeat and played well. Everyone congratulates us on that. Unfortunately, we did not win the tournament. We try to be happy with bronze medals.
How did everyone meet you at home?
People were very glad. It was a long way for us from the airport to the hotel, it was hard to go. Then we met with the president with all following events. It was great.
You played one match in the starting eleven and in other matches you were on substitution. Was it okay for you that you did not play much?
No. when I am called up, I understand that I don’t have many chances to take the field in the first eleven. I am still young, a new person in the team, and we have high class players in the national team. Nevertheless, I know I have the qualities that will help me become one of the main players in the future. And for this I need to gain experience. I was ready to take the field in any moment. We trained a lot and I am grateful to teammates who supported me. The team is a group of people. If everything is well in the group, then every player is individually happy. And me, in particular. Without even having much playing time.
What helped Burkina Faso win many games in the end?
We were physically well prepared. In such tournament you should use your common sense. You cannot start fast and then get tired quickly. Sometimes we waited, left the ball for the opponent, and used counterattacks. There are many fast attacking players in our team. Our strategy turned out to be successful. You can never know if you can fulfill what you planned, but we were lucky.
Now you are with FC Sheriff. Do you feel tired?
It is my job. Football teams are connected. If I work and play well in FC Sheriff, then I get called up. So it is important for me to work to 100% in the club. I will then have higher chances. I get used to the situation. It is hard sometimes but in the end everything will be fine.
The team expects the second part of the tournament to be hard. How do you see it?
All matches of the championship are hard. It is important to be prepared for the matches. We have to fight for the first place. We need to work like one group as a whole. If all players have the same goals, then it can always be reached. It will not be easy. Taking into account that we are the best team of the country, we need to understand that every game has its difficulties. All teams want to show their best qualities, opponent players want to prove themselves in every match. So we don’t expect an easy run.
You have not seen your teammates for two months. Didn’t you think the team could forget you?
(smiling) No, no, of course not. They greeted me warmly.

FC Sheriff Press Office