CELTIC centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers insisted he has “no problem” with Fashion Sakala’s off-the-wall remarks ahead of Sunday’s Viaplay League Cup Final at Hampden.
The Zambian striker is adamant the Ibrox side are “a far better” team than the champions to whom he refers as “the other mob”.
If Sakala is attempting to wind up anyone at Parkhead he is wasting his time.
His manager Michael Beale may have risen to the bait with ex-Hoops frontman Chris Sutton following tongue-in-cheek comments last week, as CQN reported.
ON THE BALL…Cameron Carter-Vickers sets another attack in motion.
However, there are no takers across the city as Ange Postecoglou prepares his squad for the defence of the silverwware they won with a 2-1 triumph over Hibs in December 2021. A second-half double salvo from Kyogo Furuhashi handed the Greek-Australian gaffer his first trophy only six months after his appointment.
Sakala’s words may have provoked a reaction elsewhere, but USA international defender Carter-Vickers brushed off the jibes and said: “For me, I’ve got no problem with it.
“Every professional sportsman has to have some level of self-belief to get to where they are. For me, it’s a normal comment for a professional sportsman to make.”
There have been other ill-advised remarks from elsewhere about a win for the Govan club derailing the champions in their bid for a second successive title.
The Hoops are nine points clear at the moment with a massive goals-for advantage and 12 games still to play, two home and away against Beale’s side.
Carter-Vickers, who has never lost a league game while he has been accompanied by Carl Starfelt in the middle of the rearguard, told the media: “Momentum is a thing in football, so potentially that could affect that, but for us we’re clear that it’s separate to the league and separate to the other Cup competition.
“It’s one game, it’s a Final. It doesn’t have much bearing on anything else.”
