East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat gives Anwar Ali Update ahead of Kerala Blasters clash, reveals main Focus

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East Bengal will be up against Kerala Blasters in an important ISL match on Sunday (September 22).

Ahead of the crucial match, East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat gave the latest update on defender Anwar Ali, who finally received his clearance to play for the club earlier this week.

Anwar Ali, the East Bengal defender, was given the green light to commence his journey with the club. The All India Football Federation's Players' Status Committee (AIFF PSC), culminated in the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Ali. This certificate is a critical document, marking the end of a significant dispute that previously cast a shadow over Ali's stint with East Bengal.

Following a wrongful termination allegation from fellow Kolkata club Mohun Bagan, Ali's time with East Bengal has been marred with no play at all. But the defender, following the verdict, is cleared to play for the club in the weekend.

The anticipation for Anwar Ali's debut with East Bengal is mounting, with expectations set for him to take the field against Kerala Blasters on Sunday. Following a series of practice sessions with the team, Ali has travelled to Kochi on Friday, integrating into Carles Cuadrat's squad for the upcoming match.

Carles Cuadrat tight-lipped about Anwar Ali

And the Spaniard was asked about Anwar's potential debut against Kerala Blasters. And the East Bengal coach gave only a vague outline, stating that he will be fielding a strong team against the Blasters.

"We will see [to play Anwar Ali or not]. We will try to put the best competitive team at that moment to try to get the result," Cuadrat said.

Three Points will be the main aim for East Bengal

The East Bengal coach also confirmed that their main aim will be to get all points in Kerala and come back home with a victory.

"My main worry about tomorrow is that in front of the Manjappada fans, we have to do a good job because we have to try to reach the point knowing that Kerala is going to be under pressure to get the points. This is our target, to win the game, to be competitive and to try to come back to Calcutta with the points," Cuadrat added.

The East Bengal coach would be taking some solace from last season's result, when East Bengal came strong against the Kerala side in Kochi, winning 4-2 in the process. The Kolkata club started this season with a defeat at the hands of Bengaluru FC last week.