On Tuesday, Geek Fam faced an awkward situation when, after taking down Deus Vult in their final group stage match, jungler Manuel “Nnael” Simbolon was slapped with a two-match suspension for displaying an obscene gesture towards their rivals during their close-out win.
“Mahirap syempre pero wala naman kaming choice kundi itry yung best namin,” said Geek Fam skipper Allen “Baloyskie” Baloy on how the suspension will affect their M5 campaign.
Geek Fam has already secured their place in the knockout stage after Deus Vult defeated Malaysian champions Home Bois on Wednesday.
Despite the mishap, Baloyskie remained focused on their next matches and asked Nnael to continue helping the team as they prepare for massive adjustments in the next stage of the tournament.
“Sinabi ko lang sa kanya na nangyari na ito, wala kang ibang choice kundi tulungan kami umangat kahit hindi ka naglalaro kasi siya ‘yung magtuturo sa papalit sa kanya for the meantime,” he said.
They will be pressed for time to prepare for the playoffs, with only goldlaner Mohammad “Caderaa” Pambudi as the team’s substitute.
It will be interesting to see whether Caderaa or the current starting goldlaner Mark “Markyyyyy” Capacio will make the adjustment in their first playoff match as Nnael serves his suspension.
