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Bengaluru FC coach Naushad Moosa dismissed claims that his side would play defensive football, despite needing just a point to reach the quarterfinals of the 130th Durand Cup, as they take on Indian Navy Football Team in their final group stage clash at the Saltlake Stadium on Tuesday. With four points from two games, Bengaluru FC sit atop Group C, followed by Kerala Blasters and Indian Navy, who have three points apiece.
“We are going into this game looking for the win. At Bengaluru FC, we always want to play good football and win games. We don’t believe in playing for a draw. I am very happy with the way this team has performed so far, and we’ll continue to give our best when we step onto the pitch on Tuesday,” said Moosa, speaking at the pre-match Press Conference.
Indian Navy, who come into the game with three points in the bag, beat Delhi FC 2-1 in their opener, before going down 0-1 to Kerala Blasters. With every team in the group standing a mathematical chance to make it through, Moosa said he expects a tough encounter against the Armed Forces side, who need a win to progress to the next stage.
“Indian Navy are a strong unit, both tactically and physically. Our boys have been performing well considering the pitch conditions and the fact that other teams have fielded foreigners. We just need to be pressing more as a team, and I have seen improvement in that aspect. Players like Damaitphang [Lyngdoh], Sivasakthi [Narayanan] and others have shown that size doesn’t matter and that they can do well when they are on the pitch,” said Moosa.
Despite fielding a very young side in the tournament, the Blues remain the only unbeaten team in Group C, following their 2-0 opening day win against Kerala and a 2-2 draw against Delhi FC on Saturday.
“At this club, our philosophy is to have youngsters come in from the academy setup and we believe in grooming players, right from the youth teams to the reserve team. The management, the coaches, and even the fans, believe in this philosophy. Head Coach Marco (Pezzaiuoli) is also very happy with the way the boys have been performing in Kolkata, and we are constantly reviewing their performances,” Moosa added.
Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and the Indian Navy Football Team is scheduled for 3pm on Tuesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.
