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Champions Minerva Punjab FC and Gokulam Kerala FC meet at Panchkula’s Tau Devi Lal Stadium in the first of three games on Saturday, January 19. The battle between the seventh-placed Minerva Punjab FC and the 10th-place Gokulam Kerala FC will kick-off at 2pm IST.
Both the hosts and the visitors are surely out of the title race at this stage of the league given their points and standings, but the hosts, in particular, are looking to plug gaps before an impending AFC Champions League qualifiers campaign.
Gokulam Kerala FC also will be under a new Technical Director in Gift Raikhan, roped in after resigning from Aizawl FC and he too would want to start off with a bang.
Minerva Punjab FC have made crucial signings in the ongoing transfer window, bringing in quality in the midfield with players like Mahmoud Al Amna of Syria and Juan Quero of Spain, but the duo will not be available for tomorrow’s match.
Irish coach Paul Munster seemed well aware of his team’s problems in front of goal when he commented in the pre-match presser, “We are excited for tomorrow’s match and the boys are going to give their best and I am sure we can win this game. We will be concentrating on the attacking area so that we can score. The players have to realise that they have to perform to sustain their football career. Our aim will be on winning and scoring in tomorrow’s game.”
Gokulam Kerala FC, on the other hand, have had no problems on the goalscoring front, having struck 16 times in the league, but have also let in 21, making them among the weakest of defences.
However, they have continued to make signings on the attacking front and Trinidadian Marcus Joseph was the fourth since Antonio German left mid-season.
Gokulam Kerala FC need to go back to the first-leg fixture and to that Rajesh goal which won them the tie at home, to derive inspiration. Gift Raikhan is known to inspire his boys and bring in discipline and they do have a huge support base to answer to.
Raikhan in his first press conference as the new Technical Director of Gokulam was as usual forthright saying, “The changes we are expecting is in results. Gokulam Kerala’s score has gone down on the points level and so has the confidence of the players. We are collectively preparing for the upcoming matches. We have a game plan for tomorrow. If the team follows that then we can score well.”
The hosts have not won in five games and Gokulam Kerala FC have been torrid on the road losing four on the trot as they go into Saturday’s game. It promises to be competitive with both playing for pride and future.
