Bhubaneswar is not hot, fear is complacency, Mohun Bagan of Habas aims to win the semi-final on Tuesday
Mohun Bagan is going to meet Odisha again in ISL this time. Johnny Kaukora will play in the Odisha field in the first round of the semi-finals on Tuesday. Not hot in that match, complacency fear of Mohun Bagan.
Mohun Bagan is going to meet Odisha again in ISL this time. Johnny Kaukora will play in the Odisha field in the first round of the semi-finals on Tuesday. With this, the fifth fight in ISL is going to be between Mohun Bagan and Odisha. They met twice in the AFC Cup. Despite winning in Bhubaneswar, Mohun Bagan left after conceding five goals at home.
Both the matches were drawn in ISL. In the semi-finals, the possibility of a tough fight between the two teams is strong. Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Lopez Habas knows that. So, repeatedly reminding the footballers of the team, winning this match will not be easy and if you want to win, you have to give your best. He also reminds them that if they win and return to Kolkata, they will get huge support from the fans in the second leg match. They want to finish the game in 90 minutes.
After being ill for the past few weeks, Habas is staying with the team for the Odisha match. He was also in the press conference. He informed that there is no headache about what happened in the past. Thinking more about the present. He said, “I am not thinking about what happened before. Odisha is a good enough team. They have a good coach, experienced players. Our match is going to be tough.”
Habas wants to win in 90 minutes at Kalinga Stadium. Said, “This match should be played like any other match in the league. Must win in 90 minutes. Not thinking about the second part right now. Winning the first stage is more difficult. Don’t lose. In this match, we have to enter the field with the same responsibility that we entered the field with in the league. So we have to win the match in 90 minutes and stay ahead.”
Like Kolkata, Bhubaneswar is very hot. The afternoon temperature in that city also touched 40 degrees Celsius. However, it is not supposed to be so hot during the Tuesday night match. Fatigue can become a big problem for footballers in this match. But Habas is not willing to give that excuse. He said, “Boys have to adapt to whatever the weather is like. Opponents also have to play in the same environment. No excuses should be made about this. But there will be an impact on the players’ bodies. It should not be a bad performance for him.”
Habas is also keen to ensure that the satisfaction of a League-Shield win does not turn into complacency. Says, “What can be the biggest problem in this situation is the lack of attitude. Talked about it. After winning the league-shield, the trophy fight is ahead. In this situation, my responsibility is to motivate the boys. Nothing much can be improved in practice now.”
The coach of the green-maroon camp is confident about the opponent. Said, “They have many experienced players in their team. So the match will not be easy. But I have confidence in my team. We also have good players. We play from the first minute of the match with the goal of winning in mind.”
Opposing is Roy Krishna, who has become a hero after being trained by Habas. The former guru said about him, “I like Roy Krishna. But now he is my opponent. I will hug him after the match. But now I am only interested in my team. In football, the opposing team can have no friends.”
Liston Colasso, who scored in the last match, also wants to give his best in this match. He said, “I want to help the team in every way in the semi-finals. Just as I want to help the team to score, I also want to help the team so that the opponent cannot score. I want to give my best.”
