After two home wins in the first two fixtures, Lajong FC travelled to Kolkata where they lost to East Bengal but secured a point after playing a 1-1 draw against Mohun Bagan and then they had a convincing victory at Aizawl FC making it four points from three crucial away fixtures. The Reds now sit in second position with 10 points from five games.
Redeem Tlang, Samuel Kynshi and Samuel Lalmuanpuia have found the back of the net this season and the striking force of The Reds will leave no stone unturned to grab the three points in tomorrow’s fixture.
Goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa has kept three clean sheets so far (vs Gokulam FC, vs Churchill Brothers, vs Aizawl FC) and has done a decent job in between the sticks in his debut season for Lajong FC. He is also well supported by the defensive duo of Juho Oh and Lawrence Doe. Daniel Odafin and Hardy Cliff Nongbri have been outstanding commanding the midfield.
Shillong Lajong FC head coach Bobby Nongbet said, “We are very happy for the points we got against Mohun Bagan, which was the first point we collected in our away match and that has put the team together and we decided to work harder and got three points in Aizawl. We performed really well and we deserved those three points in Aizawl.”
“We are going to work harder and press harder for tomorrow’s win and ensure we get those three points at home”, he added.
NEROCA were promoted to the I-League this season after winning the second tier. The Imphal based club made their I-League debut against Minerva Punjab FC but lost their first game 1-2 on December 1. They won their first away game of the season against Gokulam by 2-0 on December 9 and registered their first win at home against Chennai City FC with a 2-1 scoreline on December 15.
The Orange Brigade is coming into this match after playing a goalless draw against Mohun Bagan in Kolkata. They have collected seven points in total and currently are in fifth position.
The debutants have a combination of youth as well as experienced players in their ranks. They will be depending on their experienced captain, goalkeeper Lalit Thapa including Subhash Singh, Sushil Kumar Singh, Felix Odili Chidi and others.
Felix Odili Chidi and Ronald Singh have scored two goals each for the Manipur outfit. While Ningthoujam Pritam Singh and Varney K. Kallon have scored once goal each for their team.
NEROCA FC head coach Gift Raikhan was present at the pre-match press conference today and said, “We are excited and hope everybody enjoys the game tomorrow.”
“We have full squad no yellow or red card.”
“Lajong FC is playing very well and we are also very confident for tomorrow’s game. We have to play well and do not want to be in the danger zone”, he concluded.