AIFF Media Team

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting will be up against Mumbai Kenkre FC in their Hero I-League 2022-23 clash at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday (December 13, 2022).

For the Kolkata giants, it has been a frustrating start to the season which has seen them register two wins and four losses so far. Interestingly, all of their defeats have come in away matches while they have enjoyed a 100 percent win record in their home matches till date. Their last two outings saw them take the lead yet go down to late goals against Sreenidi Deccan (3-4) and Churchill Brothers (1-2). Back at home now, nothing less than a win will do to bring their campaign back on track.

Mumbai Kenkre’s only win of the season came on the opening day. Playing with an all-Indian squad, they have been a picture of grit in recent fixtures, grinding out 1-1 draws in three of their last four games, and that too after taking the lead in each of them. However, they will be concerned about converting the draws into three points, which will be crucial as both Mumbai Kenkre and Mohammedan sit at six points apiece in the bottom half of the points table.

The two sides have met just once before in the Hero I-League, with the Black and White Brigade running out 1-0 winners last season.

Mohammedan head coach Andrey Chernyshov stressed on the need to forget past results and look forward. He said, “We want to win each time we play, whether it’s home or away. My players are giving their best and showing great desire but things did not fall in our favour in the last two matches. We must forget them and be ready for the coming matches. We need to win tomorrow. No other result will be good for us. We understand how Mumbai Kenkre will play and that they will be organized well. We need to be aggressive and put pressure right from the start.”

Defender Shaher Shaheen said, “Tomorrow’s match is the most important one for us. We expect a tough game and look forward to giving our best. Mumbai Kenkre are a hard-working team. We have to take our remaining matches one at a time and in the end, what will matter most is where we stand at the end of the season.”

Mumbai Kenkre head coach Akhil Kothari spoke about carrying forward the positive momentum. “As a team, we have been doing well and want to continue building on the positives. We played well away against Rajasthan United and now, we have another important away game ahead of us. We are fully focused and prepared to put on a competitive show,” he said.

Defender Al Azhar Delhiwala said, “We have been training well as a team together and focusing on tomorrow’s match. We want to get off to a good start against Mohammedan. The players are focused and the mood is positive overall.”

The match between Mohammedan Sporting and Mumbai Kenkre FC will kick off at 7 PM IST and will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT.