Bhubaneswar, March 31: Indian Super League finalists Bengaluru FC look forward to Gokulam Kerala FC test at the Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday (April 1) as they eye a Super Cup swoop in chase of silverware this season. Although the Spanish coach stated that his boys are ready for the challenge, he iterated that they're not under any pressure.
"There isn't much pressure, it's a challenge. We've put a lot of energy into the ISL and we had a good season. It was a shame not to win the title, but I think we showed how strong and consistent we can be," Roca said on the eve of the game.
Ugandan striker Henry Kisseka has been a match winner for @GokulamKeralaFC. Can he repeat his magic at #HeroSuperCup to lay a winning pitch for his team #OdishaTheNewSportsCapital pic.twitter.com/m8rCAQuHO4
— Sports & Youth Dept. (@dsys_odisha) March 31, 2018
Roca says the Super Cup tournament is a great chance for his team to wrap up the domestic season with a trophy. "It's always difficult to get back from a final and renew your hopes to win a title, but this is a big opportunity to win silverware and we'll be doing our best out there," he said.
Bengaluru FC are no strangers to Odisha - they clinched the Federation Cup last year beating Mohun Bagan in Cuttack, around 30 km from here. The two-time I-League champions will surely take inspiration from their previous win ahead of the Gokulam Kerala match. "We won the Federation Cup last time, so it's on our mind to win this title again," Roca added.
The Boss @RocaDT_Oficial shares his views ahead of the Blues' pre-quarterfinal clash against @GokulamKeralaFC in the #HeroSuperCup. #BFCvGKFC pic.twitter.com/ZVZAjkJSYP
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) March 31, 2018
Nishu Kumar, the young agile Bengaluru FC defender, chipped in: "As a player, you go into any tournament wanting to win. Every time we go out to the pitch, we want to make sure we do our best, and that's the most important part."
Gokulam Kerala FC coach Bino George, on the other hand, said his team's initial target was to qualify for the Super Cup final rounds and they've already achieved that.
"Our primary target was to qualify for the final rounds and we did that. Now, we are up against Bengaluru FC. We are aware of their credibility, but we are not getting into the shell before the final whistle blows," the coach said.
AR: The only way to succeed is to work hard and that's what we'll do. We had a lot of players who weren't in their best shape after the final stages of the ISL, but we've recovered and we won't be looking for excuses. #BFCvGKFC
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) March 31, 2018
"We have nothing to lose. We beat Northeast United FC in the qualifiers and we knew then who are we going to face in the next match. We are confident and we'll show our game on the pitch tomorrow," George added.
Muhammed Rashid, the youngster from the Kerala-outfit went on to say that locking their horns with JSW Bengaluru FC will provide them with added motivation to show their worth on the pitch.
"We all know about them and their past records. We are not getting intimidated at all. The match is going to be played on the pitch and we are ready for the tough tussle awaiting us tomorrow," he said.
Bengaluru FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC
Super Cup, Round of 16
Live from Kalinga Stadium
At 5 pm (Sunday, April 1)
On Star Sports 2 and Hotstar
Churchill Brothers vs Mohun Bagan
Live at 8 pm
Source: AIFF Media