By Minerva FC Academy Media
CHANDIGARH: With the temperature dipping and the sky overcast, perfect football weather sets in at Ludhiana as Minerva Academy FC host PIFA Sports FC in a 2nd Division I-League match at the Guru Nanak Stadium on Friday. The match will kick off at 2:00 PM.
Minerva Academy FC are on a 3-match winning streak with a cent percent record which helps them to top the Western Conference. They are 4 points clear of 2nd placed Lonestar Kashmir FC, who have already played a match more. A win for the ‘Pride of Punjab’ against the Mumbai side will take them close to the final round.
However, the home side has some serious concerns to address regarding the availability of few key players. The fulcrum of the team, Bala Al-Hassan has a fractured leg, which rules him out for the rest of the first round matches. Another foreign star of the team, Aji Demenenge will miss the match against PIFA because of consecutive bookings.
Bala’s midfield partner, Jagpreet Singh also has a niggle, which makes him a doubtful starter. Even the two goalkeepers Sayan and Harpreet are not 100% fit. In this circumstances, coach Surinder Singh have a tough task at hand though he is confident of his reserve players.
“Yes, I will be missing some of my key players but a team is not just about 11 players. I have 25 players who are equally good and I am sure they will take this opportunity and deliver the results for us,” Surinder Singh said.
Speaking about the combination, he said, “There will be some shuffling done but I want to keep that a surprise till the last minute. Once the players take the field, it will be there for all to see.”
Meanwhile PIFA are coming into the match with just 2 points in their kitty. They were beaten 0-1 by Dempo SC in their first match. In their 2nd and 3rd match, they have however managed a draw against Kenkre FC and Lonestar Kashmir FC respectively.
Hence in Ludhiana, they will come all out looking for 3 points to climb the table and keep their hope of progressing to the final round intact.
As another cracker is on the card, football fans in and around Ludhiana are also gearing up to catch the team in action, specially this being the last 2nd Division match of the year for MAFC in Ludhiana.
“I have always been a football fan and always wanted to see good football. We have been deprived of that for longtime; But with Minerva coming up, I am very glad I can watch good football and I have a team to call my “Own”, said Harshpal Singh, a football fanatic from Ludhiana.
Its not just that, Minerva have fans travelling to witness home matches from Chandigarh, Jhalandar Malerkotla and from other parts of the state.
“I came to know about Minerva after the match against Kashmir FC. I saw it in the paper and after that, I have already attended two matches. Watching football match from the stand is all together different and the ambiance that Minervans create is just awesome. I am coming tomorrow also with some of my friends from my town, said Salman Latif over the phone from Malerkotla
