Former Ghana assistant coach and ex-Coventry City first-team coach George Boateng has thrown his weight behind the Sky Blues as they gear up for a decisive second-leg showdown in the Championship play-off semi-final against Sunderland.
Coventry face an uphill battle at the Stadium of Light tonight, trailing 2-1 after last week’s home loss at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
First-half goals from Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda secured Sunderland’s first win over Coventry since 2007.
Despite the deficit, Boateng remains confident in Coventry’s ability to stage a comeback and keep their Premier League hopes alive.
“At the start of the season, Sunderland were flying; great football, lots of goals, and some outstanding young players,” Boateng told Flashscore. “But then injuries hit, and their form dipped. You can’t just switch it on for the play-offs; you need momentum going in.”
That, he says, is exactly what Coventry have been building.
“Coventry are in good shape now. It was a tough start when I was there, but they’ve improved massively. The individual errors are fewer, and they fully deserve their place in the play-offs under Frank Lampard,”
Boateng also pointed to Coventry’s recent heartbreak in the 2023 final as a potential driving force.
“Hopefully, they can go all the way. Two years ago, they narrowly lost to Luton Town at Wembley. If they get there again, I believe they’ll know exactly how to handle the pressure.”
While Sunderland boast an unbeaten record at home in Football League play-off ties, Coventry are counting on their resilience.
The stakes are high, the odds are tight, and for Coventry, the Premier League dream is still within reach.
