1 December, Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), India (ANI): In their I-League 2022–23 fifth-round match at their stronghold, TRC Stadium in Srinagar, Real Kashmir FC will take on the challenge of TRAU FC on Thursday. Real Kashmir has finally reached double digits with 10 points on the board after their close 1-0 victory over Churchill Brothers on Monday.
The only team in the competition still without a goal conceded is the Snow Leopards. With a tie against Aizawl and a 3-0 victory over Mumbai Kenkre, TRAU FC had a respectable start to the season. However, the Red Pythons have lost their way after suffering 1-0 losses in their last two matches against Sreenidi Deccan and Mohammedan Sporting.
But history is on TRAU’s side. In their five Hero I-League encounters, the Imphal-based team has never lost to Real Kashmir, with four draws and a win courtesy of a historic hat-trick from Bidyashagar Singh in the 2020–21 season. With the help of their boisterous home crowd, the Snow Leopards will be hoping to repeat their victory over Churchill Brothers against TRAU.
The head coach of the home team, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, highlighted the significance of tomorrow’s game during the pre-match press conference, saying, “It will be a fiercely competitive match because TRAU is a good team and has produced positive results.” We need three points tomorrow to keep our lead at the top of the table, so it’s crucial for us.
One of their main players this season has been Samuel Kynshi, who had a spotty role for Real Kashmir the previous year. Kenshi commented on his team’s outstanding start by saying, “The mood is extremely good in the dressing room, we have been training hard on the field, and all the players are prepared to perform.”
If we can keep up this momentum and put a lot of effort into the things the coach tells us, I think we’ll perform pretty well. Nana Poku, a Ghanaian striker with one goal and one assist on the year, has been advised by TRAU FC head coach L. Nandakumar Singh that he would not be playing on Thursday. Nandakumar stated that Poku “had encountered an injury and won’t be in the starting roster tomorrow.”
Nandakumar predicted a challenging and intense match against Real Kashmir tomorrow because they are currently leading the table and have had a really good team. Our third away game will be this one. In addition to Kashmir, we have performed in Hyderabad and Kolkata. My sons have had some trouble adjusting to the climate here, but we’ll do our best.
He said, “Against Mohammedan, I think we performed pretty well,” in reference to TRAU’s prior performances. The lads gave it their all, but eventually, one slip-up lost us the game. Hyderabad experienced a similar event. We’re attempting to minimize and stop these mistakes. Gerson Fraga Vieira, a midfielder, expressed optimism and concurred with his coach’s remarks.
“Against on the road is really challenging, especially when playing a team that is playing well. Although I believe we can come here and play well to obtain a good result tomorrow, we are aware that it would be difficult, the Brazilian stated. (ANI)