I-League: Mumbai Kenkre FC aim for turnaround against Sreenidi Deccan
Jan 22, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 22 : A struggling Mumbai Kenkre FC will host league leaders Sreenidi Deccan in the I-League at Mumbai's Cooperage ground on Monday.
The kick-off is at 7 pm IST.
When Mumbai Kenkre travelled to Hyderabad for the away game against Sreenidi Deccan, they lost narrowly by a solitary goal. Since then, it has been a completely different tale for either side. After picking up the win, Sreenidi Deccan did drop points against Rajasthan United, but they later went on to give a stellar performance against RoundGlass Punjab to win 4-0 and subsequently move to the top of the table.
On the other hand, things went from bad to worse for Kenkre. Following the defeat in Hyderabad, they went on to lose two more games, by an identical 0-3 margin against both RoundGlass Punjab and Mohammedan Sporting. To make it more uncomfortable for the Mumbai outfit, NEROCA, who too are in the relegation zone, picked up two wins on the trot, which took them four points clear of Kenkre, hence further increasing the relegation threat for the Mumbaikars.
Addressing the media at a pre-match press conference, Mumbai Kenkre head coach Akhil Kothari said the run of poor results is part of the game. He said he was hopeful that his players would show commitment and bring their best game to park in Monday's crucial encounter. "There are both good days and bad days and we all are working very hard and trying to overcome the situation. The players are motivated and we all are focused for tomorrow's game. We know how important this game is, especially because it is at home," he was quoted as saying in a release issued by the I-League.
Kothari informed that Nepal international Anjan Bista has freshly been recruited by his club and he hoped the player would play a major role against Sreenidi Deccan. "I am sure Anjan's experience on the international stage will benefit the team," he said.
Sreenidi Deccan head coach Carlos Vaz Pinto stated that his side is determined to get a win on Monday. The Portuguese said the opponents have been unlucky in their recent games. "Our focus is to score three points tomorrow. For that, we need to respect our opponents. They have good players and are a good side. However, the results somehow haven't gone their way. We have to be ready for a tough match," Pinto said.
The match will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT platform.
