EMN
Dimapur, January 14
Shillong Lajong FC will begin their Federation Cup campaign against Salgoacar FC in Cochin in their first Group C match on January 15 4 PM. The match will be telecast live on Ten Action.Shillong Lajong FC are placed in a tough group alongside 13 time winners Mohun Bagan, Goan side Salgoacar FC, who have lifted the cup 4 times, and Mumbai FC.
Shillong Lajong will go into the game without the services of Uilliams Souza Silva, who was held back in Shillong after being declared unfit by Lajong’s medical team. Another startling factor for the Reds is the inclusion of 7 players from the Club’s Youth Academy with most of them having already made appearances in the I-League.
Coach Thangboi Singto, who commented on tomorrow’s big game said, “It will be a tough match after the I-League break and Salgaocar is a very good team. We hope to do well and give our best performance.”
He also said, “Salgoacar has a very good coach who is also a good human being and they have experienced players with a combination of youth also. It will definitely be a highly competitive game.”
Thangboi Singto’s men will look to carry their performance from the I-League into the Fed Cup. The Reds are placed fourth in the league just seven points off leaders Bengaluru FC and will look to repeat their heroics from the 2009-10 season as well when they beat the likes of Dempo SC and Churchill Brothers SC to reach the finals. They ended the tournament as runners up that year after losing out to 8 time winners East Bengal on penalties but will look to go one better in this edition of the Federation Cup with a much better confident squad and a resilient coach in Thangboi Singto.
Shillong Lajong FC Media Manager, Janice Lynrah, meanwhile downplayed the prospect of Salgoacar FC saying they are low on confidence given their poor run of form in the I-League recently. He claimed that after having topped the table early in the season, the Goan side plunged to 5th position after going without a win in seven consecutive games. He said Derrick Perreira’s men will only prove football pundits wrong in the Federation Cup with countless factors going against them.
Both sides will be looking for a perfect start to the tournament with a win and establish themselves as contenders to qualify for the semi finals and put much added pressure on Mohun Bagan and Mumbai FC who will be playing against each other on the same day at 7 PM.
