Ahead of the clash against Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC’s head-coach Sergio Lobera and striker Bartholomew Ogbeche addressed the media in a pre-match press conference.
Speaking upon the challenge against Hyderabad FC, Lobera said,
“I think they are very similar to us in style. They have very good Indian players and also very experienced foreign players. It is going to be a different game because now their players have recovered from injuries and the full squad will be available for the selection. The most important thing for us will be stay loyal to our style of play because they (Hyderabad FC) are very comfortable with the ball and keeping possession.“
“We had very difficult matches. Our focus is to keep the performance going on. We need to understand that we have to work a lot more. The 10 games happened was past and we need to focus on upcoming games,” the 43-year-old added, commenting on the team’s performance till now.
Quoting on performance of Indian players, the head-coach told IFTWC,
“I am very happy and proud of the Indian players. It’s not easy to implement a new style of play in a new club. They are improving day-by-day and also they are showing the attitude to learn more. I think, if we want to win trophies, the level of Indian players should also be high.“
Ogbeche shared his thoughts to IFTWC, about playing under Sergio Lobera and said,
“I have loved to play under him and it was a good experience till now. We didn’t get much time in pre-season but I think we have made a lot of improvement afterwards. We know that we enjoy to play under him and personally, I am very happy to be in this environment of Mumbai City FC family.“
The striker who flourished at Northeast United FC and Kerala Blasters FC didn’t show his form yet at Mumbai City FC, but in last two games, his performance was astonishing. On that note, Ogbeche said,
“I prepare myself as I am starting in every game. But, the choice is of the coach to decide the lineup. Most importantly, I always prefer to say that the team win is more important than individual performance. I am always ready and coach can count on me any day and at any moment of the game.”
Sergio Lobera signed off saying that Liston Colaco has been an excellent player but it will not be possible to decide the tactics based on any player so it will be a tough game for the Islanders.
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