After Neptunes Vodafone won the waterpolo league title last Sunday, Alex Vella spoke to coach Sergio Afric who guided the team to a second successive championship.

Away from the tense application of guiding his team from the bench, a relaxed and light-hearted Sergio Afric spoke about Neptunes Vodafone's 2007 Wilkinson Sword league triumph, their 18th championship success and his second with the Balluta Bay team after the Reds also clinched last year's title.

The man is a prized asset in local waterpolo circles and his pedigree of eight championships and six knock-out victories when coaching four different teams, bears this out in emphatic fashion. Seven league titles in the last eight years testify to his ability of deriving the maximum from the teams under his charge.

His engagement with Neptunes over the last couple of years has reaped high dividends for the Reds, as the team won the last two league titles, besides clinching the KO competition in 2005.

"The atmosphere at the club is healthy and this is transmitted from the president, Matthew Bonello, the committee, and down to all members, young and old. Naturally the players are an integral part of this environment and hence they do their part to uphold the name of the club by winning honours," Afric said.

"The group is compact and homogeneous. Above all, they have developed a greater will to win, something which I always stress. My agenda is winning and this is innate in me, even if I am playing cards. I am very happy that I have managed to transmit this winning mentality to my players.

"Neptunes missed out on league titles for a number of years prior to 2006, and for me the priority was to imbue in them this sense of winning. I knew there was enough talent in the team to rediscover this positive vein. I worked to that end."

"The lads have responded splendidly and their work ethic is of the highest quality," Afric added. "They really train hard and I have never had any problems with them. They give their all in work-out sessions.

"I feel I should not single out any member of my squad even if there are obvious differences in their playing abilities. They have developed into more versatile players and this factor has helped them to play for each other with greater maturity."

When asked about the team's future after they ended on a top note with a sweeping 12-4 victory over Sliema last Saturday, the Croatian coach said he hopes this will be the start of better things for Neptunes.

"I am sure the team can keep up this trend and my objective now is to build towards a five-on-the-trot title winning sequence and surpass the record held by Neptunes and Sliema," Afric replied when asked what his priorities were.

No doubt, Neptunes were again the strongest outfit this year. League table statistics and emphatic victories against all rivals in the last round were proof enough of this superiority.

This clear edge had as its key factor a sound defensive platform which was complemented by the most extensive array of potential scorers and hence, match winners.

Neptunes are now eyeing the double.

This target eluded them last year when they lost in the final to Sirens, opponents they are facing tomorrow in the second semi-final.

If they win this match they can possibly again lock horns with Sliema in Sunday's final. The Blues will be facing San Giljan in the other semi-final today.

At this point in time the Reds of Balluta Bay are relishing another bright moment in their history, and coach Afric has again played a significant part in this success story.

KO competition

Playing today: Division Two SF 5.30 p.m. Marsascala vs Marsaxlokk. Division One SF 6.45 p.m. Sliema vs San Giljan.

Tomorrow: Division One SF 6.45 p.m. Neptunes vs Sirens.

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