Having displayed their calibre by winning the local league in their debut season, Ozone FC will look to take their performance a notch higher when they take on Kenkre SC of Mumbai in the second division I-League at the Bangalore football stadium on Saturday.
“It’s been a dream to play on the national stage. And we want to ensure that we start on a good note,” said Ozone’s assistant coach Salim Pathan, who will take the touchline in the absence of their head coach Bert Zuurman who is yet to return from a vacation.
“We’ve had a good pre-season. And I believe we’re ready for the challenge. We played the DSK Cup a few months back, and that was a good exposure for the boys. We also played Bengaluru FC in a few friendly ties. I think the team has bonded well and you can see that on the pitch tomorrow,” he added.
But with I-league facing an uncertain future, what’s the target that Ozone has set for themselves? “Yes, it’s true that we face an uncertain future here (in the league). So the only way to look at it is, ‘give your best here, try gaining promotion so that you’re in a good place when revamp happens,” Pathan remarked.
There are three groups in second division and Ozone are in Group C alongside Kenkre, Jabalpur’s Pride FC and Fateh Hyderabad AFC from Hyderabad. The four teams play each other on a home-away basis with the top two sides from the group qualifying for the final round, which will be played in April.
Having roped in a handful of experienced players like Chika Wali and Cornell Glen, one can expect Ozone to put up a good fight.
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