| Beware of cup minnows cautions Faz |
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| Friday, 29 September 2006 | |
 Bosnian midfielder, Fahrudin Kudozovic, has sounded a note of caution ahead of Sligo Rovers FAI Cup quarter-final against Killester United at the Showgrounds on Saturday next.
By Leo Gray, courtesy, The Sligo Champion After watching big name clubs such as Manchester City and Middlesboro crashing to lowly opposition in the English League Cup, Kudozovic said those results came as timely reminders that nothing can be taken for granted in Cup football. “We had a difficult experience ourselves against Malahide in the Cup last year, so we don’t need to be reminded of the hazards associated with playing non-league teams”, he says. Confident Although the skilful midfielder is confident Rovers can negotiate their way past the part-timers from Dublin, he is not expecting an easy game. “I’m sure Killester will be very well prepared”, he warns. “They’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain and there will be no pressure on them. They’ll try to make it as difficult as they can for us, so we know we’ll have to be on the top of our game” Kudozovic insists, however, that there is no danger of Rovers falling into the trap of complacency.  “We’ll go about our job in a professional way”, he points out. “We’re delighted to get a home draw against non-league opposition but we’re not sitting back thinking we’re going to have things all our own way. We are aware of the difficulties these sort of teams can pose and we’ll be ready for that. There’s no way we will be complacent” With his parents based in England and his girlfriend living in Bosnia, Kudozovic has had to adapt to a new way of life in Sligo, concentrating on his life as a professional footballer and trying to fit in visits back to England and Bosnia whenever the opportunity arises. Friendly “It can be difficult at times but the fact that the club is doing so well and that everybody in Sligo is so friendly is a big help”, he says. “I find that Ireland is a lot like Bosnia. The people are very friendly and have helped me to settle in Sligo. I enjoy living here and I’m enjoying my football” He’s delighted with the progress Rovers have made since he came to the Showgrounds at the start of last season. He was one of the outstanding players during last year’s promotion-winning season and he’s adapted very well to the demands of the Premier division. “It’s been a great season so far. To get to the top half of the table in our first year back in the Premier division has been a great achievement. We were disappointed to lose to Cork at home recently, which was one of our biggest games of the season, but we’ve still got a lot to play for in the league and the Cup. “There’s a great buzz in the club at the moment. It’s a very professional set up and all the lads get along great together. We’re looking forward to the last third of the season and a win against Killester would make it all the more exciting with a Cup semi-final to look forward to. “At the moment, however, we know we have a professional job to do on Saturday and that is our main focus”, says Kudozovic. |
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