I-League: Despite disappointing start, Kenkre FC coach Akhil Kothari confident of his team’s chances

To say Kenkre FC have had baptism by fire in the I-League would be an understatement.

In the three matches they’ve played since making their debut on March 4, they’ve conceded 11 goals and scored three, earning just a single point so far.

In Kenkre’s defense, they’ve had to play top teams in Real Kashmir (1-1), Roundglass Punjab (4-0) and Gokulam Kerala (6-2).

On Wednesday, they take on TRAU, who’ve just come off a 2-0 victory over Churchill Brothers.

Despite the disappointing results, Kenkre coach Akhil Kothari is quite optimistic of his team’s chances.

“All those teams are title contenders. We still showed great character in all the games. Against Punjab, they dominated the first half but we showed our capabilities in the second. It was the same against Gokulam. We scored two late goals. We hope to take that momentum into the match against TRAU,” Kothari told FPJ on Tuesday.

In their opening match against Real Kashmir, the jittery team managed to take an early lead. Though they weren’t able to hold on to the lead, Kothari saw a positive side to it and said they need such good starts to do well in their debut season.

“Once we scored the early goal, the players were confident that they could move the ball better. It set the momentum for the game. We created chances and looked threatening. That’s what we need to do — get good starts and build on that.

“I can see that we are getting into the rhythm. So, I’m confident of our chances going forward. Since we play a match every third day, our focus is rest and recovery of players,” the 26-year-old said.

Kenkre, the only team from Mumbai to play in the I-League since 2017, have been an all-Indian line-up so far. In a boost for them, their foreign recruit Zacharie MBenda has finished his quarantine and is available for selection.

Published on: Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 06:09 PM IST