JOIN USBFC look to keep winning
While the Indian football fraternity will have their eyes glued to the picturesque Rajiv Gandhi stadium in the hills where hosts Aizawl FC will host Mohun Bagan, reigning champions Bengaluru FC will look to build on their new found form when they welcome DSK Shivajians in the I-League on Saturday.
Their title hopes might have long disappeared, but that hasn’t stopped Bengaluru from working towards perfecting their art under head coach Albert Roca. And their hard work has paid dividends recently with four back-to-back wins in all competitions for the first time since 2015.
“It’s important that we keep winning,” said Roca indicating that the aim will be to win against Shivajians.
“We have to be focused and we know we have an important month coming up. We have to win every game we can. The Federation Cup comes soon after this and the aim is to go into that tournament on a good note.”
Bengaluru have been a struggling side this season. While on the pitch the players haven’t justified the ‘champion’ tag, off it injuries have plagued their progress. But at the fag end of the season things are changing for good here.
The team is churning out results and players who missed so far are slowly making it to the field. On Friday, Rino Anto, Amrinder Singh, Udanta Singh and CK Vineeth trained with the side, while Marijan Jugovic sat out because of an injured meniscus.
That said, Bengaluru on Saturday will be up against an upbeat Shivajians unit. The Pune-based outfit has had a satisfying season so far. With 17 points from 16 games, the Dave Rogers-coached side are seventh on the league table.
They have already earned more points than last season (16) and have won away from home — at Shillong Lajong and East Bengal — something that they couldn’t manage last season. And Rogers hopes to end the season on a high. “I just hope the boys can go out an express themselves the way they have done the whole season. That would be outstanding,” he said.
“We have been really good this season. And if not for a few individual errors, we would be sitting in the top 3-4 in the league today. But that’s done. I just hope that the boys can continue the good work and the end the season on a good note.”
Shivajians too have a few injury concerns with Sumeet Passi and Seityasen Singh missing out on Saturday with minor niggles.