With playoffs secured, Chennaiyin aims to spoil FC Goa’s party in final league match
CHENNAI: After Ankit Mukherjee’s strike propelled Chennaiyin FC to the sixth spot in the league standings and helped them secure the final slot in the playoffs, the club travels west to take on FC Goa at the Fatorda Stadium on Sunday.
Ankit, the boy from Kolkata, crashed the party of his former club East Bengal by scoring late against NorthEast United, which helped Chennaiyin FC clinch a win and secure the sixth playoff spot. However, when Owen’s men take the field on Sunday, they will be missing him due to a suspension he incurred after receiving four yellow cards.
“I can consider a few things for tomorrow. There are players who need some minutes, and others who need to prepare for the playoff match. Although we don’t have anything to achieve given Kerala won last night, we are looking forward to the game tomorrow,” said Owen Coyle during the pre-match press conference.
Chennaiyin FC has qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years, and Coyle insists that the club remains grounded and focuses on the bigger picture, as this is just the beginning of what could be a challenging few weeks ahead. “This is just the first step on the journey as far as I’m concerned. I’m delighted for everyone, but I don’t get overly excited just because we’ve made the playoffs. I’m a champion; I’m used to winning things. I’ve done it across the world, and we’ll do it again, but we need to keep improving to achieve that,” he added.
The road to the playoffs hasn’t been easy; the club had to defeat the likes of Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur and secure back-to-back wins to reach its current position. Owen commended the character shown by his players and emphasised the importance of the training camp in Kolkata during the international break, which proved to be pivotal. “Nobody expected us to go to Salt Lake (Mohun Bagan’s home ground) and defeat them, but I certainly believed we could. So, we prepared in Kolkata for two and a half weeks in the heat. Normally, the season ends in March, but now, due to international breaks, it ends in May, and the heat is demanding, with physicality being key. Hence, we prepared for it,” said Coyle.
Chennaiyin FC also became the first club to register three consecutive comeback wins and would be looking to finish the league stage on a high, which would mean snapping the six-game unbeaten streak that Goa is currently on.