AIZAWL: Come this Monday, Aizawl FC and Salgaocar FC will clash their horns at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in what could be a fierce battle to avoid the relegation. Both sides are desperate for a win as losing out three points at this stage in the Hero I-League could mean dropping from the League.
While Salgaocar FC have earned 13 points from as many matches, Aizawl FC have gathered same points playing one match more.
In their last encounter at the Tilak Maidan, both teams scored a goal each with the game ending with a 1-1 draw. However, both teams have come a long way since their last clash and are now desperate for a win to ensure their stay in the Hero I-League.
At the pre-match press conference held today at Aizawl, Santosh Kashyap, the head coach of Salgaocar FC, spoke of his boys and claimed, "We will play our next match as if it is the final. That is how we have been playing every single match this season. My boys have been reciprocated pretty well till now."
The Goan side have conceded 22 goals this season and speaking on that, the coach asserts, "We are now stable at both attacking and defending." Skipper Karanjit Singh also maintained that his team deserves a spot in the next Hero I-League season, "We do not think about relegation. We do our work and are fighting for a spot."
Aizawl FC head coach Jahar Das also insisted that his team are gearing up for the pulsating tie against Salgaocar FC, "We are confident about the match tomorrow." he further added, "We will play an attacking game but will not forget to defend either."
Albert Zohmingmawia also quipped, "It will not be easy to win but we plan on walking away with the three points after the match."
The last 90 minutes of Hero I-League 2015-16 action in Aizawl, which will start at 2:30 PM on Monday, will be streamed live on I-League.org