Bezecourt believes Eagles still have a fighting chance

The battle for the top three finish in the Singapore Premier League is still not over as far as French star Vincent Bezecourt is concerned.

Geylang International face a do-or-die mission when they host Tanjong Pagar at Our Tampines Hub on Sunday, with The Eagles needing nothing less than a win if they are to keep alive their faint hopes of qualifying for the AFC Cup with just three matches left to play.

Noor Ali’s side had lost ground in the race after they could only muster a goalless draw with third-placed Tampines Rovers last Saturday, leaving them in fifth place and seven points behind The Stags.

Geylang must now beat fourth-placed Jaguars while hoping for a slip-up from Tampines Rovers against Hougang United.

While the odds are heavily stacked against Geylang, Bezecourt has refused to throw in the towel just yet and urged his teammates to keep their fighting spirit burning.

“Our season has been a bit of a roller-coaster I would say, we started on a very high note against The Sailors and then not winning the next 111 matches wasn’t what we had expected obviously,” said Bezecourt.

“Credit to the guys for showing a lot of characters and turning things around. Frankly, in mid-season, we didn’t think we were going to be fighting for AFC Cup qualification.

“We have come a long way, now it’s up to us to get together as a team and achieve something great.

“Even with very little possibility, we still have to give our all.”

Bezecourt has certainly lived up to the expectations since joining The Eagles from Armenian champions Alashkert.

The former New York Red Bulls man contributed eight assists from 23 appearances.

Bezecourt showcased more than just his midfield brilliance, he also proven on many occasions that he can be deadly in front of goal too by being the team’s second-highest scorer after Sime Zuzul with eight goals.

“I was a bit disappointed not with my performance, but with my efficiency during the first half of the season,” he said.

“I’m glad that I was able to do better in big games for the second half of the season and I certainly hope that I can keep the momentum until the final game.”

Geylang will seek to keep their unbeaten record against Tanjong Pagar, having picked up seven points out of a possible nine to date.

The last time the two sides met on July 30 saw Geylang notch a comprehensive 5-0 win.

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