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Odisha FC face NorthEast United FC in Durand Cup 2022 opener.
The players and coaching staff flew out to Guwahati on Monday ahead of their season opener against NorthEast United FC in the Durand Cup at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Wednesday. Head Coach Josep Gombau shared his thoughts on the team’s mentality and preparation ahead of a new season in front of the fans after two years in a bubble.
“We are excited. It’s been almost three weeks working together,” said Gombau. “As a football coach and football players, we want to play games. Tomorrow our season starts with the Durand Cup, which is a tournament where we want to build the way we play. But we also want to compete, and of course, we will try to win.”
“The squad is good,” said Gombau, when asked about new signings. “We are working hard. I’m happy with the work the players are doing. I think we have a very good pool of foreign players who fill different positions on the field. They are good players, good people.” Talking about Indian players, Gombau said, “We also have a lot of good players and a good mix of Indian players and foreign players.”
New signings include Narender Gahlot, Mawia Ralte, Raynier Fernandes, Michael Soosairaj, Denechandra Meitei, Pedro Martin, Saul Crespo, Victor Rodriguez and Osama Malik.
Josep Gombau said Osama Malik joined the squad late due to visa issues, so it’s unlikely he takes part in today’s game. “We want to build his fitness. But the players who are available need to take these games seriously in the Durand Cup and use the games that we have as preseason games to build in a good way to prepare for the ISL.”
Gombau is looking to set the tone with a win but stresses the importance of building rhythm and staying fit. “The first thing is to build our team and the way we want to play, knowing that we’re playing in a competition and we want to win,” said Gombau. “But it’s also very important to get in good shape and not have any injuries.”
“I think if we work hard and everyone does their job, we can have a good year.”
Odisha FC will kick off against NorthEast United FC at 5:30pm IST on Wednesday, August 17. You can watch the match on Sports18 1, Sports 18 1HD and Sports18 Khel for Hindi commentary. Live streaming of the Durand Cup 2022 will also be available on VOOT and JioTV.
