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Air India defeated Dodsal FC on Saturday to lift the Durand Cup. We had a chat with Air India Coach Godfrey Pereira about what he thought about the Victory. Here’s what he had to say.
Congratulations on Winning the Durand Cup. A really thrilling and entertaining game for a final, is this how you expected it to be?
Thank you very much for your good wishes. The match turned out to be very thrilling and exciting; a nail biting finish .My boys played very well and truly deserved to win the Durand cup finals.
Tie breakers are always thrilling and the game can turn at any point, what was going through your mind when Dodsal’s substitute Goalie Abhijit Ghosh made 2 crucial saves?
Actually the way my boys played that day the match should not have gone for the tie breaker it should have been decided in the game itself, but luck did not prevail with us during the 90 and the 30 minutes of extra time. And I was quite confident we will win the match in the tie breaker.
This was your first tournament as Air India’s coach, and you guided the team to victory, you must be very happy with your performance as well as that of the boys?
Yes of course. I’m very happy with the performance of the boys. Also, being the coach for the first time and that also in the Durand cup and winning the tournament makes me very happy
How do you think this victory will affect the team?
This victory will boost the morale of the team that they can do better in the upcoming tournaments
Who are the new players in the team this season?
We have Micky Fernandes, John Dias, Souvik Chakraborty, M,Pradeep, Gagandeep Singh, Baldeep Singh and some junior players.
Which junior players made the jump to the main squad?
Yes we have Abhishek Ambekar,Harold Fernandes and Shailesh Yadav.
Who do you think will make the most impact?
Too early to say but I feel Prakash Thorat and Abhishek Ambekar will make a impact.
The team has been drawn with Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan in the Federation Cup. What can we expect from the Airmen in this tournament?
Yes it is a tough group but never the less, we will try and do our best.
We wish you all the best for the season ahead.
Thank you very much for your support and keep supporting Air India in the coming season.
