Chennai, Feb 23 Chennaiyin FC Head coach Thomas Brdaric is looking forward to his side’s final league fixture of the Indian Super League 2022-23 and wants the team to end the season on a positive note when they take on NorthEast United at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, here on Friday.
Brdaric’s men have won two league games on the trot and are looking to continue their momentum in front of their home fans. The team will draw confidence from their recent form and also their last league meeting against the Highlanders earlier in the season when the players were at the top of their game and secured a thumping 7-3 win in Guwahati.
“We want to inflict a defeat on them tomorrow in front of our fans. We want to continue our way and tomorrow’s match is a challenge for us to face. Yes, we know NorthEast have improved in the last matches, they had some good spells in the games but we play at home and we have our style. So we are very motivated to get the fans three points,” said coach Brdaric in the pre-match press conference.
While Chennaiyin’s squad has a proficient set of experienced players, Brdaric has showcased his trust in the team’s young talents by integrating them into the playing eleven and backing them to impact games. Players such as Samik Mitra, Sajal Bag, Vincy Barretto, and several others have racked up significant minutes under the German coach this season.
On building a young core for the future and developing the young talents, Brdaric said, “We trust them and this is the way we want to go. We want to develop Indian players to become national players like Thapa and we have the potential. I’m here to create future national players for India and that makes me proud that I have this responsibility.”
Striker Kwame Karikari, who scored a brace in the Marina Machans’ most recent game and inspired his side to a 2-1 victory against FC Goa, is looking forward to the future.
“The season has been ups and downs for me because of injuries and setbacks but I’m looking forward to the future. I am prepared for the last game, which is tomorrow, and I have positive energy with everybody on the team. I urge the fans to come and support us for the last game of the season and we hope to give them something back,” said Karikari.
While NorthEast United are rock-bottom in the league table and winless in their last eight league games, they have also failed to beat Chennaiyin FC in the last three seasons.
With the head-to-head record being level currently as both teams have won six games each from their seventeen league meetings, the hosts will be keen on getting the better of their opponents by clinching all three points.
–IANS