Mariners will ‘Start from Scratch’ against ‘Dangerous’ Churchill Brothers FC

Churchill Brothers FC Goa have left the euphoria of overcoming Delhi Dynamos in the Hero Super Cup qualifiers and they’re looking forward to the Mohun Bagan test tomorrow in the Round of 16.
The Red Machines will lock their horns with the Mariners at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar tomorrow. “Yes, we got the sweeter result the other day but it’s a new test tomorrow. We have played Mohun Bagan twice this season but couldn’t garner a single point. We are aware of their football acumen and we respect them”, coach Alfred Fernandes stated.
Newly-recruited striker Willis Plaza bombed a brace in the qualifiers to propel the Red Machines to the Round of 16 and he’ll be the ‘trump card’ for the Goan outfit tomorrow as well. “Yes, you might term him as our trump card. We are in the hunt for the attacking spearhead and he fitted the bill perfectly. But, at the end of the day, it’ll be a team effort and we need to get the job done collectively”, coach exuded.
They finished second best twice against the Mariners in the Hero I-League and now they’re here to better their records. Skipper Osagie Monday didn’t mince his words expressing that they have special plans for their counterparts including Dipanda Dicka who wrapped the season with maximum goals in two consecutive Hero I-League seasons.
“Yes, I know him (Dicka) very well. We played them twice and we all know how dangerous he can be in the box. We are very keen to prove our diligence tomorrow. Dicka is a great player but there are other players too who can be equally dangerous. We have plans not only for him but everyone.”
Mohun Bagan’s upsurge in the Hero I-League started late which brought them very close to the title but finally, the saga didn’t end with the laurel. Sankarlal Chakraborty and his team has now shifted their focus to the Hero Super Cup and the coach is now ready for the fresh challenge.
Also Read: Derrick Pereira confident about Gaur’s chances in Super Cup
“It’s a tough match tomorrow. The tournament is different from I-League. A silly mistake can dent your journey heavily and it might end your path in the tournament as well. Churchill had a terrific game against Delhi Dynamos in the qualifier, far superior to their performance in the I-League and we have to be very cautious tomorrow.”
Although his team had left the pitch with two wins in the I-League against the Red Machines, the coach believes that they are a transformed side who might pose a stiff challenge tomorrow, “Whatever we did in the I-League, is past and we have already flipped the page. I-league is history and we have to focus on tomorrow’s game now. Churchill played an excellent game against Delhi Dynamos in the qualifier and we have to respect that.”
On being asked to single out a player who might give him a sleepless night, Chakraborty chipped in, “They brought in Plaza and he might wreak havoc on a given day. Foreigners akin to Plaza, Ceesay, Monday are well supported by the Indian players and it has been a dangerous team to play against.”
Raynier Fernandes, the young midfielder who combined well with Cameron Watson soaking in the pressure reiterated that they’re not looking into the past and focused on tomorrow only. “Yes, we beat them twice but it starts from the scratch tomorrow. A mistake can cost us the match and we have to leave Bhubaneswar empty-handed. We are well aware of the fact and are focusing on nothing but tomorrow’s match.”
Meanwhile, Chakraborty mentioned that his team might tweak in their strategies and they won’t prefer to go for an all-out kill from the kick-off, “We won’t go all out in attack from the kick-off, rather we’ll prefer to play a balanced football. We might change our strategies as the game proceeds.”
Also Read: MDFA to host Barcelona vs Juventus Legends game at DY Patil
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updated on Indian Football
RoundGlass Punjab FC announces squad for Punjab Super League 2022
Mohali, August 12: RoundGlass Punjab FC is all set to begin its Punjab State Super Football League 2022 campaign with its first match on Tuesday, August 16, against Jagat Singh Palahi…
FIFA suspends All India Football Federation
The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a…
WIFA Women's Championship / WIFA Women's Football League
WIFA Women’s Football League: Kolhapur Warriors Beat Kenkre In Tournament Opener
The opening game of the WIFA Women’s Football League saw Kolhapur Warriors beat Kenkre FC 3-1 kicking off their campaign with all three points The early morning fixture of Day…
C0A Statement
NEW DELHI: The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has expressed its surprise and disappointment at the recent turn of events, by dint of which, the All India Football Federation has been…
FC Goa take on Mohammedan SC in Durand Cup 2022 opener
Goa, August 15, 2022: In what is set to be a repeat of the Durand Cup 2021 final, defending champions FC Goa are all set to lock horns with Mohammedan…
Deggie Cardozo: No ‘added’ pressure in Durand Cup as defending champions
Goa, August 11, 2022: FC Goa won the hearts of fans last year with their stellar performances in the Durand Cup. Braving the odds, the Gaurs wrapped up their Durand…
WIFA Women's Championship / WIFA Women's Football League
WIFA Women’s Football League: Sasmita strikes three as PIFA kick off title defence in style
Match 2 of the WIFA Women’s Football league saw, defending champions PIFA Sports kicking off their campaign in style with a 5-0 win over Puneri Warriors The defending champions PIFA’s…
WIFA Women's Championship / WIFA Women's Football League
WIFA Women’s Football League: Aspire FC blows apart lawless United with a 4-0 win
Pune-based Aspire FC kicked off their WIFA WFL campaign with a convincing 4-0 win over Lawless United of Palghar Aspire kicked off the proceeding and took control of the game…
Blue Tigers to play International Friendlies against Singapore, Vietnam
NEW DELHI: The Senior Men’s Indian Football Team will be back in action in September, when they play two International Friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam. The Blue Tigers will travel to…
WIFA Women's Championship / WIFA Women's Football League
WIFA Women’s Football League – Mumbai Knights stamp authority with 7-0 win over footie first
Riding on a first-half brace from Mmehak Lobo and a brilliant hat-trick from Priyanka later on, Mumbai Knights produced a clinical display of football as they romped home to a…
OSCAR SSE to conduct trials for Youth I League and YPL team in the U13 category in Mumbai
Mumbai-based OSCAR SSE will conduct trials for their Youth I League and YPL team on 16th and 17th July 2022 at Wings Sports Centre ground. Oscar SSE is a 2-star…
ROQS to host trials for MFA Super Division
ROQS is revamping their squad for the upcoming season of the MFA Super Division. The team is organising trials for the men’s football team on Monday, 11th of July, 2022….
MSP Academy is holding trials for the upcoming MFA Youth League
MFA Super Division club Mumbai Soccer Prodigies will be conducting trials for their MFA Youth League campaign on 22nd May 2022 in Bandra, Mumbai. Founded in 2006, the Mumbai Soccer…
Mumbai Football / Recommended / Trials
Football School of India to conduct Youth Trials
Mumbai-based Football School of India is going to conduct youth trials for its boys and girls squads. The trials will be conducted for players in the age group of under-13…
Bengaluru FC Elite Youth Football Trials
Bengaluru Football Club is a professional club that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL) and are past champions of the I-League and ISL. The club has launched its Soccer…
D’Souza Football Academy to conduct Youth Trials
Mumbai-based D’Souza Football Academy is going to conduct football scholarship trials for its youth squads. The trials will be conducted for players in the age group of under-7 to under-15….
Oscar SSE to conduct trials for Youth I-League in U13, U15&U18 category in Mumbai
OSCAR SSE, an AIFF Accredited Academy invites all U13, U15 & U18 players from ALL SOCIO-ECONOMIC backgrounds for football trials to join our Elite teams to train round the year…
Elite Division / MDFA / Recommended / Trials
Air India to conduct senior team trials for MFA Elite League on Monday
Mumbai-based Air India FC is set to conduct trials for their Senior Team to play the MFA Elite (Corporate) Division. One of the top-tier clubs from Mumbai – Air India…
MDFA / Mumbai Football / Recommended / Trials
Air India to hold youth team trials on Monday
Mumbai-based Air India FC is set to conduct trials for their Youth Team for the MFA Super (Corporate) Division. One of the top-tier clubs from Mumbai – Air India will…
MDFA / Recommended / Trials
Bhaichung Bhutia’s Residential Academy set to conduct trials in Mumbai
16th March, 2022: Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) will conduct Residential Academy trials in Maharashtra for the academic year 2022-23. In the next few months, the trials will be organized…