AIFF Media Team

KOLKATA: The first day of Hero I-League’s resumption will be wrapped up by a clash between Aizawl FC and Mohammedan Sporting Club, with the match kicking off at 7:30 PM on March 3, 2022. Both teams have invested a lot in their squads over the last month or two and we can expect another highly competitive encounter.

In the pre-match press conference, coach Yan Law said that they should focus on tomorrow’s game and not to think about what has happened in the past, referring to their victory against Mohammedan SC in the last season. “I think we should forget what happened in the last season. They have a different squad and we’ve got a different squad as well. They have got a new coach, so there will be different challenges that we will be facing and hopefully, we can come out on top.”

With plenty of young players in their squad, Yan Law feels it will be a good experience for them to square up against an experienced team like Mohammedan SC, and also shed some light on the camaraderie in the dressing room. “We have got a young energetic side. Many young talents are coming forward. They are all learning from experienced players such as Willis Plaza, Dipanda Dicka, Robert Primus. They are guiding them well and gelling up with them despite the age gap!”

Talking about the Hero I-league and what Aizawl FC should do to try to win the league, Yan Law said, “Picking up points early in this league is more important because in the first round, you get only 10-12 games and if you can pick up the points there you get into the top 7 and then the main competition starts.”

Mohammedan SC, led by Russian coach Andrey Chernyshov, are excited and ready to go all out to clinch this year’s Hero I league.  While some of them had a tough start in the first match round, there were some teams who bagged the three points and ensured that they took off in the perfect manner. One of those teams was Mohammedan SC who won 2-1 against a solid Sudeva Delhi FC.

Chernyshov believes the team is ready for tomorrow after all the training and pre-season “This whole stopping the league situation was not easy, but my players have been very professional and they also understand the situation. With a number of pre-season games and training sessions the players are ready to show, all the hard work that they have put in against a very good Aizawl FC side,” said Chernyshov

Captain and central midfielder Nikola Stojanović, who was present alongside his manager said, “The coach told the players what we want to achieve this season and I think we are on the right track. The most important thing is to remain healthy and try to help the team as much as possible. I hope we will at our top level in the coming matches. Another major thing we need to focus is on is to not look too far ahead and take one game at a time.”

Mohammedan SC knows that the lethal attacking duo of Dicka and Plaza can score goals against them, but the coach believes they have got great defenders who can be of great help in stopping these players from scoring. “Our defenders know about the attackers and we have done tactical preparations to stop them from scoring goals. Our defenders are ready for tomorrow.”

Talking about the new signings and how everyone is calling Mohammedan SC the title contenders, coach Chernyshov said, “Big clubs like Mohammedan SC will always have pressure before every match and every tournament. For this reason, it’s good to have players who can play with this pressure and who thrive under pressure. I am happy that I am managing a club that wants to fight for titles.”