On Saturday, DAC produced a fantastic comeback against Košice, turning a 1–2 deficit into a 3–2 victory. Two outstanding individual moments played a key role in the win: Pavol Šafranko’s equaliser and Ammar Ramadan’s decisive strike. Both goals, however, also have personal stories behind them, adding another dimension to these special moments.
Pavol Šafranko: I spent more days in the gym than on the pitch
Saturday’s goal had a special meaning for Pavol Šafranko. He scored for the first time since returning to DAC, ending an exceptionally long wait to find the net in our colours. His previous goal had come on 19 May 2017, in the Prešov–DAC match (1–1). A total of 3,459 days had passed since then!
“I was out for a year because of my cruciate ligament injury. It was a period when I spent more days in the gym than on the pitch. But my family and the people around me stood by me, and this feels like a reward for all that,” said the 31-year-old striker after the DAC–Košice match (3–2), as he continues to work his way back to full form following a difficult comeback.
Saturday’s match was also a success for him from a team perspective. In addition to scoring, he provided the assist for Ramadan’s winning goal. His current league record for DAC stands at 21 appearances, 7 goals and 5 assists.
Šafranko, who produced a superb header in the 79th minute to make it 2–2, praised the team’s collective performance and resilience. “I liked the fact that even at 2–2, we kept trying to make something happen. When I looked at the bench, everyone was standing and urging us forward. The fans joined in, and together we pushed it over the line. And what can I say about Ammar? You saw what a beautiful goal he scored. That is one of the reasons we go to football matches, and it is also what a foreign player who comes here should look like,” he said, praising his teammate.
Ammar Ramadan: You never forget matches like these
Ammar Ramadan produced one of the most memorable moments of the season so far with his winning goal. After the final whistle, he struggled to find the words to describe his feelings.
“I’m very happy because this goal helped us earn three points. Hard work brings its rewards. All the lads work really hard, both individually and as a team, and now football is giving that hard work back to us. Wins like this are even better than victories by three or four goals. You never forget matches like these,” said Ramadan, whose strike on Saturday took his tally to 39 league goals for DAC. He has also provided 27 assists in 120 league appearances. He now ranks fourth in the club’s all-time league scoring charts, just one goal behind third-placed Mikuláš Radványi. Ahead of him are Radványi (40), Zsolt Kalmár (43) and Pavol Diňa (49).
The current period also has a strong family dimension for the Syrian international. After seven years, his parents are once again able to watch his matches live at the stadium. They first visited the MOL Arena two weeks ago, when DAC defeated Ružomberok 5–0 and their son also found the net. This means they were able to share Saturday’s unforgettable evening as well.
Following Saturday’s comeback, both goalscorers also agreed on the question of DAC’s ambitions in the title race. The desire to challenge for the highest positions is a natural part of the club’s identity, but it is still too early for grand statements. “A club like DAC must always have the highest ambitions. But we take it one match at a time. Every single game is like a final for us,” stressed Ramadan, the league’s most productive player with a record of 10 goals and 9 assists.
