EXCLUSIVE: Tijani confident Dukla Prague can maintain survival momentum against Teplice

[p]After suffering back-to-back defeats, Pavel Sustr’s side boosted their survival hopes with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mlada-boleslav/0f7GpAMu/"]Mlada Boleslav[/a] last time out, thanks to crucial goals from Kevin-Prince Milla and Dantaye Gilbert.[/p][p]Buoyed by the important result, the Nigeria international described the win as a massive confidence boost for the squad following a difficult spell.[/p][p][b]"The victory against Mlada Boleslav was very important for us and crucial in boosting our confidence. It was a tough encounter, and we are glad to have won,"[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tijani-samson/GjhyxN66/"]Tijani[/a] told [b][i]Flashscore[/i].[/b][/p][p]"That result is definitely a turning point for us, and we simply have to continue putting in the effort and keep working hard, which is the most important thing.[/p][p][b]"Now, we are looking forward to the next game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/teplice/r9XWmtLq/"]Teplice[/a], and we hope to carry the winning spirit into that match. [/b][/p][p]"We believe in ourselves, and if we keep believing, then we can definitely achieve our goal. We are taking the games one step at a time, and I truly believe we can survive.[/p][p][b]"At this stage of the season, it can be tricky because the legs are tired, but we just need proper recovery and then prepare ourselves for the task ahead."[/b][/p][image alt="Dukla's most recent form" id="770b00af-17dc-4471-9b40-21b536f0cc85" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d62c432a-a2ab-4506-84dc-9088536939dd" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Despite the club’s recent poor run of form, the former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/salzburg/Olvehxrl/"]Red Bull Salzburg[/a] midfielder revealed that the squad’s mentality has improved significantly in recent weeks, with every player fully committed to helping the team avoid relegation.[/p][p]Tijani also admitted that the relegation battle holds personal significance for him, as he has never experienced relegation in his professional career.[/p][p][b]"What has really changed is that we, as a team, have made a strong resolve to survive and are self-motivated to keep the club in the First League because that is very important to us,"[/b] he continued.[/p][p]"On a personal note, I’ve never experienced relegation before, and this is very important to me. I don’t want to suffer relegation in my career. [/p][p][b]"So, it would mean a lot to me if we stay up, and by God’s grace, I believe we will. That is exactly what we are working towards right now.[/b][/p][p]"We know it won’t be easy against Teplice because they are a solid side, and playing in front of their home crowd makes it even tougher. But we will give it our best shot, follow the coach’s instructions, and see what comes out of it. I have no worries because I’m confident we are going to get a positive result."[/p][image alt="Samson Tijani" id="92b705db-a9d2-4d75-ab4f-4a6dc9507003" credit-line="ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / IMAGO" guid="5e72bd61-da91-4fb5-8ea8-b520b9f86b69" original-width="1400" original-height="932" /][p]Tijani, who has been one of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dukla-prague/tKH71vSe/"]Dukla Prague[/a]’s key players this season, shared his thoughts on adapting to life in the Czech league, the challenges he has faced, and the growth he has experienced since joining the club.[/p][p][b]"Before joining the Czech league, I didn’t know much about it. From the outside, many people think it’s just an average league and don’t really pay attention to it," he said.[/b][/p][p]"But when you look at how Czech clubs perform in European competitions, you realise that it is far from easy and deserves a lot more respect. [/p][p][b]"Coming in was challenging at first because it is a different ball game. The league is very intense and competitive, and it took time to adjust to the style and tempo. However, with time, things have settled well for me. [/b][/p][p]"Right now, everything is going smoothly, and getting regular minutes on the pitch is the most important thing for me at this stage. [/p][p][b]"I am enjoying the experience and learning every week. We will see how everything turns out at the end of the season, but I am confident and focused on finishing strongly."[/b][/p][p]After Saturday’s clash against Teplice, Dukla Prague will return to Stadion Juliska to host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ostrava/lI6ddlih/"]Banik Ostrava[/a] on May 23rd.[/p][image alt="Shina Oludare" id="77f4edee-493b-45e2-b24b-0d9a1e05766a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="4693cbbf-b836-405e-8e07-85b943b66ad6" original-width="1200" original-height="381" /]