Aizawl: After a confidence-boosting victory in Kolkata against local giants Quess East Bengal, Chennai City FC will look to extend their lead and stay at the top of the I-League standings with a victory against a subdued Aizawl FC here at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl on Saturday.
Chennai have been the most impressive side of the league, notching up three wins out of four and remaining unbeaten with 10 points.
Former champions Aizawl, on the other hand, are yet to win a match and have crashed to two defeats and managed two draws in the four games they have played so far.
Gift Raikhan, the coach of the home side, who had such a wonderful run with debutants Neroca FC in the last edition, has found the going comparatively tough at Aizawl, with his three main goal scorers, scoring just three goals between them, two of which came via the penalty spot.
Three of the four Aizawl goals, in this campaign, have come from set pieces, further indicating a complete lack of ideas up front.
The Aizawl coach seemed well aware of the task at hand confiding, “The result has not been good enough. We need to regroup and approach together on the pitch. The boys are a little bit down because of the results. But collectively we will work hard and give our best tomorrow. Football is a team game and we should believe in one another.”
Contrastingly for Chennai and their new coach Akbar Nawas, it has been a dream start this season.
Not only have they scored 11 times – four more than second best Gokulam, and notched up three victories, their Spanish signings have been on fire, with Pedro Manzi sitting on top of the goal scoring chart with four goals to his name and left winger Nestor Jesus, fast emerging as the star of this season. (UNI)
