Mariners must keep cool to get anything from F3 derby, warns midfielder Kalifa Cisse

KALIFA Cisse knows the importance of a local derby but the veteran midfielder is calling on his Central Coast teammates to keep believing in the face of intense pressure.

Cisse was brought in to be leader for the Mariners. (AAP Image/Sue Graham)

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Kalifa Cisse has tasted the intensity of Portugal’s ‘Derby Da Invicta’ but he’s warning his young Central Coast teammates not to let all the noise surrounding local rivalry heap more pressure on their shoulders.

Sunday’s F3 battle sees the home side desperately in need of a victory as they battle to end a now-record winless streak in the A-League.

For Cisse, a veteran of derby experiences during a footballing journey that has taken him everywhere from Boavista to Bristol City, he is preaching a message of calm, unity and, most important of all, belief.

Cisse was brought in to be leader for the Mariners. (AAP Image/Sue Graham)

“This game is very, very important,” he tells The Sunday Telegraph. “We play a team (the Jets) who are not too far from where we are (on the ladder).

“For the fans and the history, it’s big. But for us, it is a very important game as we need to get three points.

“In Portugal we (Boavista) played Porto in the derby. It was very intense. For the fans and the club it was big and a bit special. But like I said, for us (Mariners) players, don’t put unnecessary (derby) pressure on top of what we’ve got already.

“The league table doesn’t lie. If we are in this situation it is because we didn’t do all the stuff properly to be in a better situation.

“But it is still only eight games into the season. Most important is to stick together. “The lads in the club are sticking together and we will push to get out of this situation.”

The midfielder’s influence will be crucial to any resurgence. (AAP Image/Craig Golding)

Cisse’s experience was one of the key factors in Mike Mulvey bringing him in to the club. It is a responsibility he takes seriously.

“Experience is obviously important and it’s even more important now as some of the younger players may not have been in this situation before. But heads up, work hard and let us get the result,” the 34-year-old said.

“We have to keep believing, believing that we will get out of this situation.

It is key. If you stop believing, you can have all the quality you want but it won’t work.”

Mulvey spoke of ‘fear’ being a problem for some of his players after last weekend’s defeat by Wellington Phoenix.

“It (fear) is not something you can avoid but you can manage it,” Cisse said. “It is about learning to deal with it all.”

Mike Mulvey can’t hide from the results. (Tony Feder/Getty Images)

Newcastle will ask questions of a side low on confidence but Cisse is not interested in focusing all preparations on opposing threats.

“If we do our jobs all over the field we have no reason to have fear of any player or team in this league,” he said.

“OK, we are still looking for the first win but if we can give 100 per cent and a little bit of luck also, it can be very good for us.

“One win can have a big, big impact and we know in football things can turn very quickly.”

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