AIFF Media Team
Bengaluru: With Delhi FC and Kenkre FC booking their place in the next round of the Hero I-League Qualifiers, Kerala United and ARA FC lock-horns in a dead rubber game on Thursday in their fourth and final match in Pool B.
Speaking about their last outing in the group stage, Kerala United’s head coach Binu George said, “We are definitely looking to gain three points from the match against ARA FC. Even a third-place finish in our group is still important for us. We faced problems in our attack in the previous match, but we should be ready to fight for three points tomorrow.”
Talking about his experience with Kerala United in the tournament, Nigerian centre-forward Francis Nwankwo said, “The team is good, it is a very young team, and this tournament gave everyone a very good opportunity to play against some talented players. My experience here was good. There is a lot of belief in this team, and I am sure Kerala United will grow to become a good team in the future. They have strong prospects, and we are looking forward to a good match tomorrow.”
ARA FC, on the other hand, will look to finish their campaign with a win. They have registered two losses and a draw in Pool B so far. The team’s head coach Vivek Nagul said, “We would surely like to end the tournament on a good note and get a few points from tomorrow’s match. This year has been very difficult for us. I think we have to improve in every area, but surely this tournament has taught us some important lessons, which we will be taking back home. It will surely help in preparing ourselves for a better season next year.”
Introspecting on their performance and way forward for ARA FC, Nagul said, “Next season we will be preparing systematically, and we should do well in the local league in Gujarat. We will go back to classroom sessions and analyze our performance, and begin work on particular aspects. Introspecting on our performance, I feel we did not get enough matches to prepare in the pre-season. Unlike other teams who got to play some strong teams in the pre-season, our young players did not get enough match situations. It is something we need to work on and get some good matches for the team.”