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Mohammedan Sporting Club square off with Indian Arrows on Sunday, February 14 aiming for a favourable result to strengthen and further their hopes as contenders to the 2020/21 I-League title.
The match is slated for a 2pm kick-off at the Saltlake Stadium and will be broadcast LIVE on 1 Sports with online streaming available on 1 Sports’ Facebook page.
Speaking on the eve of the clash, Mohammedan Sporting head coach Jose Hevia said, “I think every single game in the I-League has been competitive, and it is going to be the same against Arrows. They are an interesting team with some good young and energetic players, but we are well prepared and will approach every game with a positive mindset. We can’t be complacent and need to give our all.”
The gaffer insists his players cannot afford to worry about their opposition, indicating the key to their success will be to implement their own philosophy and to execute their game plan.
“No matter who the opposition or who we meet during this league, we have to impose our style on the game,” Hevia explained.
There is no doubt Mohammedan Sporting are among the best teams on view in the league but that is not enough for Hevia, as he continued to stress on the fact that his team have not yet reached full potential.
“We are at the halfway point in the league and I feel that we can play much better football. We don’t want our players to be relaxed and our aim is to keep improving with every single game. We are focused on the task at hand and want to give our best,” he continued.
The Black Panthers currently at fourth on the log with 10 points from six games, but Hevia has revealed that right now he is not ready to think about the points table and wants to focus on one game at a time.
The Black Panthers have shown glimpses of their quality but inconsistency has let them down this season. However, In comparison to the first few weeks of the new season, Mohammedan Sporting have considerably stabilized and the latest win over Gokulam Kerala should boost their confidence to the levels required to face Arrows.
Playing against a leaky Indian Arrows defence, Jose Hevia’s charges will hope for a much better contribution from the players tasked with supporting John Chidi in attack to give their team a chance to win the three points.
While the attack has been very hit and miss, the Black Panthers defence has been impressive and they will be hoping for another strong performance from skipper Eze Kingsley and company to continue their upward surge in the league table.
Mohammedan Sporting likely to miss Jamal Bhuyan, as the Bangladesh skipper picked up an injury during the match against Gokulam Kerala but should have enough cover to cope against Indian Arrows.
Indian Arrows come into the game on the back of a seven-match winless streak and having earned only a point thus far, they will look to move away from the bottom of the table with a positive result.
Shanmugam Venkatesh’s charges will take some positives out of their performance against Roundglass Punjab FC. Despite the 1-2 final score, the Indian Arrows held their own for most of the game. They looked especially dangerous on the counter to create a number of anxious moments for Punjab goalkeeper Kiran Limbu. With Mohammedan Sporting likely to dominate possession, Arrows’ counter-attacking prowess could be a dangerous weapon against the Black Panthers.
Venkatesh says his side will go into the match with a positive attitude as he believes his side will be more competitive against Mohammedan Sporting.
