By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The wait is finally over as Shillong Lajong FC start yet another I-League campaign at the JN Stadium here on Saturday.
The Reds play host to the mighty Mohun Bagan in a crucial encounter which could set the tone for the rest of the campaign.
Both teams will aim to put their Federation Cup disappointments behind them as they lock horns in the opener.
The home team, however, have several injury issues with defender Govin Singh along with Hungyo and Chitrasen featuring among the list of injured.
Star striker Sushil Singh, however, who is suffering from a slight thigh strain, is confident of making it to the playing XI.
The injury to Govin means that new signing, North Korean defender, Minchol Son will likely play his first match for the Reds on Saturday.
Former skipper John Menyongar and in-form striker Friday Gbeneme are most likely to fill the remaining two slots for foreign players in the team.
“I am confident and believe in the boys going into the tournament,” Lajong coach Desmond Bulpin said during a pre-match press conference here on Friday, adding that the team is aware of the challenge ahead.
The coordination between Sushil and Friday will be crucial for the hosts to make headway into the Bagan defence. It would also be a tough ask for the Lajong defenders to control the likes of Odafa Okolie and Tolgay Ozbey who can wreak havoc in any defence line on a given day.
Ozbey, in fact, had scored a brace when the Mariners drubbed Lajong 6-1 in their last encounter.
It may be mentioned that Lajong fared poorly in defence in the last edition of the I-League when they conceded 44 goals from the 26 matches played.
However, with a squad which has seen many changes since then and starting the campaign at home could work in SLFC’s favour on Saturday.
A vocal crowd at the JNSC can shake the focus of any opposition. And it is to this effect that coach Desmond Bulpin, urged the fans to come out in large numbers and back “their team”.
“I want 25,000 (capacity crowd at JNSC) coming out of the hills to support us. That would send a statement out from the North East,” Bulpin said, adding that the boys need to have controlled aggression against their Kolkata rivals.
Meanwhile, apart from Samuel Shadap, who officially made it into the senior team on Thursday, another youngster, Jacob Lalrawngbawla, from the Youth Academy will be a part of the Lajong bench on Saturday.
The Mariners on the other hand will also feel a pinch of pressure going into the game, which is almost a must-win for them given the recent Federation Cup disappointment.
The 13-time Fed Cup champions made a forgettable start to the season as they failed to make it to the semifinal for a second successive season.
Coach Santosh Kashyap, however, will be relieved with the fact that Odafa and Tolgay have recovered from injury, boos-ting the team’s chances.