(Football News) Mumbai City FC wil play Churchill Brothers in their first match of the Super Cup. The Super Cup has returned after 4 years and Mumbai City has decided to take a squad of 24 players which include 0 foreign players and all 24 are Indians. This is a great platform for the players to prove their worth and try to get into the main Mumbai City team.
Head Coach Des Buckingham said, “It will be different for us because the foreign players do make a difference. But I’ve spoken about trying to build this club, certainly in the last two years, by having and developing Indian players and we want the best for the players here.”
“The team we have still has goalies like Phurba,” the coach said. Mandar and Vignesh are still positioned at the left back. Mehtab Singh and Rahul Bheke are here to defend us. We have midfielders like Vinit, Rowllin, and Apuia. Chhangte, Bipin, and Vikram are still around, and you can also throw in some newcomers like young Ayush and a few others, along with Hardik and Sanjiv Stalin. I’m really looking forward to seeing how far they’ve come in the past 18 months.
After taking over as the Islanders’ head coach just days before the 2021–22 ISL season, Buckingham has now worked with the team for almost two complete seasons and has agreed to two more. His interaction with the players, especially the young Indian players, has been noteworthy, and Mumbai City’s recent success is largely due to the performance of his indigenous team.
Buckingham added and said,”We’ve worked with the majority of these athletes for two years. Even though the players I just described have contributed so brilliantly and massively to the success that we’ve had, they now understand what we do and how we do it, so we haven’t been able to test whether we can do it without international players. Therefore, I’m eager to see what we can accomplish and what these players can now accomplish in the Super Cup group stages against three very strong clubs.”
“We’ve never discussed winning the competition, whether it was the AFC Champions League, the Durand Cup, or the ISL season. Our performance has been our primary concern. First, let’s look at each player’s performance individually and as a squad. We firmly believe this, and our method of operation reflects this. As I’ve stated previously, we’ve seen the outcomes we can deliver both this season across three or four different tournaments if players can comprehend it, keep themselves to their standards, and really strive to push themselves to see what they can achieve.”
Additionally, Buckingham discussed how domestic football is thriving and how the Super Cup has grown to be a significant fixture of the Indian Football season. “The Super Cup allows us to play additional games on previous ones. I used to hear rumours about the league lasting two or three months when we initially started playing back when I first got to India.
“Since preseason began again in the middle of July of last year, the season has now lasted for 10 months and there are still games still to play. I’m not sure how many games we’ve played this year, but that’s great because it gives you a chance to truly assess your guys. This allows the players to compete against each other whether it’s in India or outside India.”
He discussed Rahul Bheke’s responsibility as captain of the team competing in the Super Cup to wrap up the news conference. “I believe that being the club captain is a good experience for the person and his family, not just for the club but also for the club in the community where they grew up. Rahul has taken on the burden and led the team exceptionally effectively over the course of what has been a very successful season, but he has done it in the past when Mourtada Fall hasn’t taken the pitch. He serves as a great example for all of our team members, not just the young players.”
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