Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS) Sudeva Delhi will be aiming for their first I-League win of the season when they face the young Indian Arrows at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium here on Thursday.
Sudeva were undone by a defensive error that led to Mohammedan Sporting’s Ali Faisal scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in their opening match. They had dominated possession and made most of the attacks but failed to find their way through the opposition defence.
“Indian Arrows have the capacity of pushing us for the entirety of the match. They are young and very energetic, plus they are technically sound,” said Sudeva coach Chencho Dorji.
“We cannot take them lightly and we have to be more mature on the pitch and fight for the win. It will not be an easy match for us by any standards. Their number 12 [Gurkirat Singh] is one to watch out for.”
Arrows also lost their first match but only after taking the fight to Churchill Brothers. They were leading 2-1 at half-time before Churchill scored four half and took the game away from the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) developmental side.
“It was a tough match against Churchill but a great learning experience for our boys. For 90 per cent of our team, it was the first match in the Hero I-League and I am very happy how the boys reacted after the first goal. They immediately went on the attack and even took the lead,” said Arrows head coach Shanmugam Venkatesh.
–IANS
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