Nottingham Forest play-off semi-final hero Brice Samba inspired team-mates to victory over Sheffield United with a incredible prediction before the penalty shoot-out.
Steve Cooper's Forest side are preparing to face Huddersfield at Wembley on Sunday after beating the Blades 3-2 on spot-kicks at the City Ground after a 3-3 draw on aggregate. Forest were fortunate to get to penalties relying on keeper Samba for superb saves in normal and extra time from Iliman Ndiaye.
But it was in the penalty shoot-out that Congo international keeper Samba, 28, really came into his own. As Forest players gathered around before spot-kicks Samba declared to them: "I will save two". The star's bold declaration raised his team-mates' spirits after fighting a rearguard action and being on the back foot against the Blades for much of the second leg, which they lost 2-1.
They responded they would therefore win if they scored and Brennan Johnson, Cafu and Steve Cook promptly went out and buried the hosts' first three efforts. Shot-stopper Samba, who hid notes on his water-bottle telling him where to go for each individual penalty taker, saved United's first two efforts from Oliver Norwood and Conor Hourihane.
Sander Berge and Ndiaye then scored United's third and fourth efforts before Lolley missed but Samba dived to his right to keep out Morgan Gibbs-White as Forest made it to Wembley.
Asked about Samba, Forest midfielder Ryan Yates replied: “He is chilled out and full of confidence. He always comes in meetings at the last minute. It is just who he is but when all eyes are on him that is when he produces. He is a big game performer. Hopefully Wembley will suit him.”
Forest have already beaten Arsenal and Leicester in the FA Cup in live games this term and are confident. Yates added: “I honestly think those experiences in the FA Cup helped us because the play-offs is high emotions. If we perform to our maximum level it is going to be a victory for us. Let’s do it, we will beat them, I have no doubt about that. Let’s go and attack the game.”
Reds boss Steve Cooper is determined to be third time lucky in the play-offs with Forest. Welsh coach Cooper has guided Forest to Wembley after inheriting a side at the foot of the Championship who had lost six of their first seven games. Now Cooper is preparing Forest to take on Huddersfield in a game worth an estimated £170million.
He hopes for a different outcome after losing there with Swansea to Brentford last term and in the semi-finals to the Bees the previous term. Cooper also reckons top scorer Johnson, who has 19 goals after scoring against the Blades, will be extra fired up after losing at Wembley last May in the League One play-off final on loan at Lincoln.
Former England U17 boss Cooper,42, who coached Swansea from 2019-2021, reflected: “Those things make you stronger and are good for you. It doesn’t feel it at the time but if it happens they make you better. You have to be there to win them and to lose them.
“I would much rather be there to have a go. The two things are not joined up, this is different. I am not the only one, Brennan was there as well.
“Other people have had good and bad moments in play-offs but that is what brings us together and makes us the team that we are.
“I promise you I will work even harder than I have worked to get this - no days off. I will be the first one at the training and we will be ready. This football club deserves the best.”
