Real Kashmir FC Vs Sudeva Delhi FC
After grabbing four points from two matches against much higher-placed teams, Sudeva Delhi are not looking like the outliers of the Hero I-League anymore. Especially after holding RoundGlass Punjab FC, Sankarlal Chakraborty’s side are suddenly looking a potent unit good enough to compete against anybody.
On the contrary, Real Kashmir FC are yet to win a match in 2023. Their last victory came six matches ago on December 22, 2022, against Kenkre FC in Mumbai. In short, Mehrajuddin Wadoo’s men were not able to reverse their abysmal away record. As a result, they have got a new coach as they return home to play Sudeva Delhi here at TRC Stadium on Wednesday. Gifton Noel Williams, the new man in charge, would hope at least the home form does not desert his team.
Real Kashmir have been slipping down the ladder for long and are sitting seventh on the table right now, with 19 points. If the slide is not arrested now, they could be looking at relegation sooner rather than later. They will be up against Kenkre again in the next match, who are another improving side. They already have 14 points in the bag, so if Real Kashmir fail to beat Sudeva, the gap will look narrower.
What should worry Williams more, is that Real Kashmir have looked the most listless of the sides in the bottom half. On paper, they are a formidable unit. They have an experienced man like Subhashis Roy Chowdhury under the bar, men like Jestin George, Akashdeep Singh in defence. There is a mix of young talent and experienced foreign legs in the midfield in the form of Nurudeen Davronov and Yakubu Wadudu. The strike force also looks potent but the potential has not translated into results.
NEROCA Vs Mumbai Kenkre FC
After a solid win against Hero I-League holders Gokulam Kerala, NEROCA FC host fellow relegation-battlers Mumbai Kenkre FC at the Khuman Lampak Stadium on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, with the kick-off slated for 4:30 pm IST.
As the league enters its closing stages, the battle for survival is heating up. Mumbai Kenkre might be occupying the relegation spots, but have won against leaders Sreenidi Deccan and drawn with second-placed RoundGlass Punjab over the past couple of weeks. 10th-placed NEROCA are just three points above the Mumbaikars but are one of the most in-form sides in the league, with 10 points in their last five games. At home, the Orange Brigade have won their last three in a row and will be looking to keep that run going on Wednesday.
Addressing the media at the pre-match press conference, NEROCA head coach Wangkhem Khogen Singh said, “Tomorrow, it’s another home game for us, and an important one in a neck-and-neck relegation battle. If we win tomorrow, we will be in a different scenario. We are preparing well and plan to win the game.”
NEROCA beat Mumbai Kenkre 1-0 in the reverse fixture at the Cooperage back in November thanks to main striker Jourdain Fletcher’s solitary strike. But Khogen believes the current Kenkre side is a better one in terms of form because of the new additions they’ve made to their squad. However, given NEROCA’s confidence following the win against Gokulam and the backing of fans at home, the Indian coach feels his side will get a positive result.
Mumbai Kenkre assistant coach Managesh Desai talked highly about their opponents but also maintained confidence in his men. “NEROCA have done really well in their last three games, especially against Gokulam. We are prepared and have come here with a plan. In our last two home games, we got two good results and hopefully, we can replicate our home form on the road,” Desai said.
“At this stage of the season, it’s important to win all our matches till the last round. We hope to do exactly that, starting from tomorrow,” he added.
The match between NEROCA and Mumbai Kenkre will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT platform at 4:30 pm IST.
