Julien Bationo will remember the rescheduled Matchday 3 fixture in the Niké Liga for a long time. His header in the 65th minute proved decisive as DAC claimed a 1–0 victory away to FC Košice yesterday. The young Burkina Faso international scored not only his first goal in the Slovak top flight, but also his first in DAC colours since joining the club in the summer of 2025. “I’m very happy that I’ve finally managed to score my first goal for DAC since arriving here. I’m truly delighted,” the young defensive midfielder said with a smile after the final whistle.

The decisive moment came from a corner. Žan Trontelj delivered the ball into the penalty area, where Bationo made his run to the near post and beat the home goalkeeper with a header. Although scoring is not normally one of his main responsibilities, he found himself in the right place at the right time. “It’s simple: we practise these situations every single day in training. My job is to attack the near post, wait for the cross and try to score with a header,” Bationo explained, describing how he scored his first goal in yellow and blue. “I dedicate my goal to individual coach Ladislav Kubalík and, of course, to my mother and siblings.”

The road to victory was not easy, but we achieved our main objective: bringing all three points home from Košice. Wednesday’s result was DAC’s tenth win in their first twelve matches of the current season. “It was a very difficult match. But we are athletes, and we always have to give our maximum, regardless of the circumstances. The most important thing was to get the three points, and we managed to do that. We are extremely satisfied.”

The 21-year-old midfielder, who received his first call-up to the Burkina Faso national team in September, has had to be mindful of his disciplinary record since the away match against Žilina. Another yellow card would be his fifth of the season, resulting in a one-match suspension. “I don’t think about these things at all while I’m playing. I always give everything on the pitch. Cards are part of the game and depend on the situation. If I can stop something or sacrifice myself for the team, I will do it.”

Another challenge awaits on Sunday, when DAC travel to face Banská Bystrica, who sit third in the form table covering the last five matches. “The atmosphere in the dressing room is good, and that also helps us cope with a demanding schedule, with matches coming thick and fast. We know that we have to adapt to every situation. Now we need to return home, recover and focus on the next match,” added the 21-year-old, who was born in Abidjan.