Bengaluru FC take on Indian Navy in Durand Cup with an eye on quarterfinal spot

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC Coach Naushad Moosa dismissed claims that his side would play defensive football, despite needing just a point to reach the quarterfinals of the 130th Durand Cup, as they take on Indian Navy Football Team in their final group stage clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, on Tuesday. With four points from two games, Bengaluru sit atop Group C, followed by Kerala Blasters and Indian Navy, who have three points apiece.

 

“We are going into this game looking for the win. At Bengaluru FC, we always want to play good football and win games. We don’t believe in playing for a draw. I am very happy with the way this team has performed so far, and we’ll continue to give our best when we step onto the pitch on Tuesday,” said Moosa, speaking at the pre-match Press Conference.

 

Indian Navy, who come into the game with three points in the bag, beat Delhi FC 2-1 in their opener, before going down 1-0 to Kerala Blasters. With every team in the group standing a mathematical chance to make it through, Moosa said he expects a tough encounter against the Armed Forces side, who need a win to progress to the next stage.

 

“Indian Navy are a strong unit, both tactically and physically. Our boys have been performing well considering the pitch conditions and the fact that other teams have fielded foreigners. We just need to be pressing more as a team, and I have seen improvement in that aspect. Players like Damaitphang [Lyngdoh], Sivasakthi [Narayanan] and others have shown that size doesn’t matter and that they can do well when they are on the pitch,” said Moosa.

 

Despite fielding a very young side in the tournament, the Blues remain the only unbeaten team in Group C, following their 2-0 opening day win against Kerala and a 2-2 draw against Delhi FC on Saturday.

 

“At this club, our philosophy is to have youngsters come in from the academy setup and we believe in grooming players, right from the youth teams to the reserve team. The management, the coaches, and even the fans, believe in this philosophy. Head Coach Marco (Pezzaiuoli) is also very happy with the way the boys have been performing in Kolkata, and we are constantly reviewing their performances,” Moosa added.

 

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and the Indian Navy Football Team is scheduled for 3 PM on Tuesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.

 

Bengaluru FC to begin Durand Cup campaign against Kerala Blasters

Bengaluru FC Media 

Blues coach Naushad Moosa maintained that his young side will be out to impress when they take on Kerala Blasters FC in their opening fixture of the Durand Cup, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Wednesday. Bengaluru, grouped alongside Kerala, Delhi FC and Indian Navy in Group C, will look to start strong, with the top two teams from each group set to qualify for the quarterfinals.

“We had a long pre-season for the AFC Cup, and our squad for this tournament has many youngsters who haven’t played too many competitive games over the last few months. We have a mixture of U18 graduates and reserve team players who Marco (Pezzaiuoli) believes have good potential. The Durand Cup is a prestigious tournament, and we’ll look at how these players can perform under pressure against big teams,” Moosa said, speaking at the pre-match press conference.

The Blues’ first opponents Kerala have already opened their account in Kolkata, beating Indian Navy 1-0 courtesy Uruguayan midfielder Adrian Luna’s penalty on September 11.

“Kerala have come here with a full strength squad, and have won their first game too. That said, it is important for any team playing in the competition to give their best, and that holds true for us as well. We are very serious about this tournament, and the players also know how important this is for them. They are raring to get onto the pitch and show everyone what they are capable of,” Moosa added.

While Kerala make their debut in the competition this year, the Blues have two previous appearances, having made it to the semifinals once, losing out to Salgaocar on penalties in their debut campaign in 2014. Moosa’s young side finished second in their group, in their most recent tournament appearance in 2019.

“As a coach, it isn’t easy for Marco to give chances to everyone, even though he wants to. That’s why we have brought a young team here, and everyone will get the chance to prove themselves. As a club, we are very invested in our youth development program and we want to reach a point where we have a senior squad that has a balance of experienced players and youngsters. It will take time, but we are on the right path. We have had encouraging signs over the last few years, in Suresh (Wangjam), Leon (Augustine) and Parag (Shrivas) to name a few. This year, Damaitphang (Lyngdoh) and Sivasakthi (Narayanan) made their first team debuts,” said Moosa, who lifted the Durand Cup as a player with Mahindra & Mahindra in 2002.

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters is scheduled for 3 PM on Wednesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.