Tuesday , March 19 2024

IWL – Group A heading into an exciting second matchday!

The 2023 Indian Women’s League – Group A head into an exciting second matchday in Ahmedabad for all the eight teams in the group.

While defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC face Odisha FC, read the preview here , read the other previews below!

HOPS FC vs Misaka United FC

Elsewhere, HOPS FC, who succumbed to defeat in their first game of the IWL season against Sports Odisha will look to bounce back when they face Misaka United next. Head Coach Sanjay Singh said, “We will try to dominate the ball possession to add numbers in the attack. We need to have trust in the depth of the squad in order to make it to the top of the pool.”

Misaka United, on the other hand, will be looking to build on the momentum after their 2-0 win over Mata Rukmani in the previous game. “We are keen to improve our finishing as we did have ball possession in the first game but failed to convert it. So finishing is something that we are focusing on and also, to be more confident on the ball,” said Antony Dias as he urged his side to bank on the positives from the first game.

East Bengal FC vs Kahaani FC

After a disappointing start to the IWL season with a heavy 2-8 loss against Gokulam Kerala, debutants East Bengal will be looking to prove a point against Kahaani FC at the Shahibaug Police Stadium on Saturday. Expressing her thoughts ahead of the second game, Head Coach Sujata Kar stated, “We have practiced focusing on the mistakes we made in the first match so that those are not repeated in the upcoming game. We will never underestimate the opponents and show our good game.”

Adding to her testimony, Kahaani head coach Lalita Saini said, “We know that we have lost our first match (against Mumbai Knights) and East Bengal too lost theirs. So the next match is going to be very competitive and we want to win it in any condition.”

Mumbai Knights vs Mata Rukmani FC

Another interesting fixture awaits Shahibaug Police Stadium when Mumbai Knights take on Mata Rukmani. The former picked up a narrow 1-0 win over Kahaani in their opening fixture and will be confident ahead of the next match.

Head coach Rutuja Gunwant reflected on her side’s preparations saying, “As the debutants of IWL, we are happy with the first win. The players are motivated and confident. But we still have a long way to go. We have worked upon some areas of improvement to face Mata Rukmani which is a good side having IWL experience and few young talents.”

Further, Mata Rukmani head coach Shantanu Ghosh also explained how his side is planning to change things after the loss in the first game. “We have analysed our previous game and have worked on it. We are always focused on the next game. We know our strengths. No matter the opponent, our objective remains the same, to get the best out of each game. The team is ready and prepared for tomorrow.”

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