Bhubaneswar, April 4: East Bengal have to get past the disappointment of losing out on the I-League title before taking the fight to Mumbai City FC in their Super Cup Round of 16 clash on Thursday (April 5). "We have to be positive before hitting the pitch tomorrow. We are not thinking about the past. East Bengal have a matured set of players who have trained very hard in the last few days before coming here," coach Khalid Jamil said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
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East Bengal, also known as the Red & Golds, will approach the game with a more patient outlook. They'll prefer to read their opponents before hurling the attacks in the match. "Surely, we'll tweak our strategy for a knockout game. We have to be more patient. It's our first match at this ground whereas Mumbai City FC have already been here once. We have to be very alert defensively and mentally strong to get the job done," Jamil, who coached another Mumbai team in the I-League - Mumbai FC, added.
Nigerian striker @eastbengalfc “DUDU” has been the top-scorer with eight goals in the @ILeagueOfficial 2017-18. Whenever people have doubted his skills, he came out a winner changing his team’s fate.Let’s see where he takes his team in #HeroSuperCup #OdishaTheNewSportsCapital pic.twitter.com/wedta2o8iC
— Sports & Youth Dept. (@dsys_odisha) March 31, 2018
Midfielder Mohd Rafique will not be available for selection but East Bengal can still rely on their foreign players - Katsumi Yusa, Mahmoud Al Amna and Dudu Omagbemi - to get the job done up front.
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Brazilian defender Eduardo Ferreira added: "The preparation has been the same for us. We are very serious and we know how better they are as a team. We are training quite hard. Everyone has to be on their toes throughout and we can't afford to make a mistake tomorrow."
The former PSG striker Everton Santos is @MumbaiCityFC’s attacking firepower during @IndSuperLeague 2017-18. His talent in playing across the frontline makes him a valued player to the Mumbai City squad #HeroSuperCup #OdishaTheNewSportsCapital pic.twitter.com/pCWINbviSj
— Sports & Youth Dept. (@dsys_odisha) April 2, 2018
Mumbai City FC coach Alexandre Guimaraes was happy that his team qualified for the Round of 16 after beating the Indian Arrows in the qualifiers earlier. "First of all, it's nice to be back again in the tournament. We had a tough game against Indian Arrows. Every game is going down the wire and every team has to toil hard to get the success," the Costa Rica-based coach said.
"We respect our opponents but we are here with a strong will to win. We know that we are going to play a team who has a great history and legacy."
No second thoughts for @Davinde00433017 on extending his stay with #MCFC...💙#Davinder2020 #MadeInMumbai pic.twitter.com/mYjWIdgcb1
— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) April 2, 2018
Agile winger Sahil Tavora also chipped in and said that the Indian players are aware of the legacy that their counterparts have but they are not looking at Thursday's game any different. "We have seen their games and we are planning accordingly. It's not going to be an easy game for us. They are a very strong team. But, we are looking at the match like another competitive game and our attitude will be same," he said.
Mumbai have come to Bhubaneswar with only two foreigners and the coach feels it's an excellent opportunity for the local boys to step up to the occasion.
East Bengal vs Mumbai City FC
Super Cup
Live from Kalinga Stadium
At 8 pm (Thursday, April 5)
On Star Sports 2 and Hotstar
Source: AIFF Media