Super Cup: Familiar foes lock horns as East Bengal, Aizawl FC vie for a spot in the semis

Bhubaneswar, April 7: Aizawl FC may have ousted Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC in the Round of 16 but they have to up their game if they are to beat East Bengal in their Super Cup quarter-final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday (April 8).

Aizawl were riding high after dumping Chennaiyin FC via penalties in the pre-quarterfinals, but they then succumbed to a 1-3 loss to Bengaluru FC in an AFC Cup Group match on Thursday. The challenge for Santosh Kashyap's side is to quickly regain its composure before the crunch game against the tacky East Bengal side, helmed by former Aizawl FC Khalid Jamil.

Stay tuned for #HeroSuperCup quarterfinals kicking off tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/9CmPgHWsXz

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) April 7, 2018

"I believe top teams are under pressure now. They have to win the championship and they have their own planning to execute. Chennaiyin were the favourites against us. East Bengal will also start as the favourites and we're happy to be the underdogs and cause upsets," Kashyap said during the pre-match press conference. "They have to perform better and beat us. We will put our best effort to move to the next level. East Bengal could not win any silverware this season and the expectations are huge for them."

Forced to play three matches in under 10 days, Kashyap denies the schedule could take a toll on his players. "It's a good opportunity for us. Yes, the schedule is tight but it happens in football. We're here to give our best and win, that's it," he said.

"I have a fantastic set of players who can make the difference on the pitch. Dodoz, Mapuia, Kima have the pace and the capability to score against any opponent. Masih, Andrei, Alfred all are in perfect shape and we believe in our abilities," Kashyap added.

Andrei Ionescu, the architect of Aizawl FC's win against Chennai, said he always puts the team's ahead of individual glory.

"We respect East Bengal as opponents. But the game is not played by numbers or names. It starts with the whistle and ends likewise. We have come here with a strong positive mentality and we believe that we can beat them tomorrow," he said. "Winning is important. I would be happy to contribute to the win. That's my primary concern, not scoring."

Glimpses from our 2-1 victory last night. It was a second-half strike from Mahmoud Al Amna that helped the Red and Gold Army notch up a thrilling win over @MumbaiCityFC and advance to the quarterfinals of the Super Cup tournament. #JoyEastBengal #HeroSuperCup #MCFCvKEB pic.twitter.com/EOhmkJt1To

— KF East Bengal (@eastbengalfc) April 6, 2018

East Bengal, who made a stunning comeback against Mumbai City FC, are yet to break the jinx against the Mizo-outfit this season.

But their Brazilian defender Eduardo Ferreira feels it's time to look forward and move on from I-League.

"Every game is like the final here. We have come to play our natural game and win it. Yes, we conceded goals in I-League, but that is past. We don't look back into the past, rather we focus on the future. We are concentrating on tomorrow's game but nothing else," he said.

He added, "The match will be played on the field. They lost an AFC Cup game and that'll make them hungrier. They will give everything on the pitch. We are aware of their capabilities and we are ready to take them on."

Coach Jamil pointed out that facing a 'known' opponent is advantageous but there is a flip side of the coin too.

"We have a fair idea about them and we can set our strategies accordingly. On the other hand, they also know us vividly and that might help them outwit us," the former Aizawl FC coach said.

Aizawl FC vs East Bengal

Live from Kalinga Stadium

At 4 pm (Sunday, April 7)

On Star Sports 2/2 HD/1 Tamil/Jalsha Movies/Suvarna Plus/Asianet Movies and streamed live on Hotstar and Jio TV

Source: AIFF Media