In Chennaiyin FC‘s 1-0 win over Hyderabad FC in the 67th match of the ongoing Indian Super League at the Marina Arena in Chennai on Wednesday, December 11, winger Kiyan Nassiri stood out. The former Mohun Bagan Super Giant attacker, who moved to the southeast coast of India earlier this year, has found life a tad challenging in Chennai, starting just two out of the eight matches he has played in the league so far.
However, Nassiri was handed an opportunity by Chennaiyin coach Owen Coyle on Wednesday, and he grabbed it with both hands. Although he was taken off in the 62nd minute, he did enough to warrant the handful of home supporters to chant his name when he walked away. The 24-year-old more than held his own against Hyderabad right-back Muhammad Rafi and even outfoxed the defender on the odd occasion.
A passing accuracy of 64 percent to go with two shots got the crowd off their seat on most occasions. To go with this, Nassiri ended the game with a hundred percent accuracy in crossing and feeding long balls, which is exactly what his coach would have demanded from him.
His willingness to press high whenever the Marina Machans lost the ball also won him a lot of praise from Coyle on the sidelines. Nassiri played a key role in ending the three-game losing streak Chennaiyin had been on before that game. This must have allowed Coyle to heave a huge sigh of relief.
In a recent exclusive conversation with IFTWC, Nassiri spoke about how he has adjusted to life in Chennai and what this win over Hyderabad meant to the club as a whole.
“It was a good result for us – I am very pleased with the three points that we got. It was a tough game with a lot of physical tussles in midfield, but in the end, we were all happy that we could emerge on the winning side quite comfortably and without conceding goals. I am sure that the defence was extremely happy with the clean sheet – in fact, there were quite a few occasions on which Hyderabad came close – but we did well to keep them at bay,” said Nassiri.
“I am happy to play. I have been learning a lot at my new club, and I am pleased to play and train with enthusiasm. It was quite a big change to come from Calcutta to Chennai, but this is football. We had a tough run over the last three games before Hyderabad where we did not score any goals, and hence this win was crucial. As the coach said, that was a big punch to the face for us, and we are pleased to come back to winning ways,” he added.
“It has not been easy for me so far, yes, but I am trying to adapt and trying to learn as quickly as I can” – Kiyan Nassiri
Chennaiyin’s troubles are far from over. Ranked ninth in the league table with fifteen points to their name, they take on Mumbai City away from home on Saturday, December 21. The Machans know they must be at their best to beat the Islanders in their own den.
For Nassiri, however, the challenges are endless, and one can safely say that he will be looking to keep improving with time. Having made 56 appearances for Mohun Bagan in which he scored five goals, the son of former East Bengal striker Jamshid Nassiri will want to get his first goal for his new club, too.
“We just kept going and that is what helped us. This is where we need to be as together as possible. I am just happy to be playing and expressing myself on the pitch as much as I can. It has not been easy for me so far, yes, but I am trying to adapt and trying to learn as quickly as I can. I have been groomed under Spanish coaches up till now. It takes some time for any player to adapt to a new system, to what a new coach wants from them, but I feel that as a professional, we have to adjust quickly. It’s difficult, yes, but then what’s not difficult in life?” he signed off.
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