Zakari sets target with Real Betis

 Morakinyo Abodunrin

AS the football world waits with bathed breath to the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria youth international Lukman Zakari said he was now ready to fight for a starting shirt with the youth team of Real Betis.

The centre back who is a member of the FIFA U-17 World Cup winner in 2015, arrived the Spanish La Liga side last August from FK Metta where he earned a place severally in the Latvian Virsliga Team-of-the-Week but he has been sparingly used at Betis.

“ Of course, I’m looking forward to the end of Coronavirus so that we can start playing football again,” the 21-year-old told NationSport.  “It has not been easy since I arrived at Real Betis from FK Metta because I have spent much of the time working on residence card.

“I got my resident permit a week before  they stopped all football activities; I  hope to fight for my place in the team once we resumed after this Coronavirus pandemic and I’m working even now for the starting position.”

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Spain has been badly hit by COVID-19  and had been on strict lockdown since mid-March forcing club to hand out tough training regimen at home to players in order to keep them in tip-top shape when life returns to normalcy.

“Actually it hasn’t been easy staying indoors and not having the  opportunity to spend time with my teammates and friends,” explained Zakari who is nicknamed Chakwa  (someone who makes dreadlocks in Hausa language).

“It has been  difficult to be honest; but situations  like this make us to appreciate everything about life because having the freedom to express yourself freely is something we  have to be grateful for but I really miss playing football.”

Yet the former coach Emmanuel Amuneke protégée said living through the lockdown has been so challenging.

“During this lockdown, I’m coping well with all the necessary training routine the club have organised for us, I  train every morning and also I maintain my diet by eating twice daily. It is not easy to overcome the temptation because I really love to eat but I  also need to be professional to maintain my fitness and weight,” he noted.