Clifford Miranda: Players deserved the win more than anyone else

The Odisha FC boss came through with flying colours in a fixture that put him under a lot of pressure.

Odisha FC beat Hyderabad FC by 2-1 to secure a spot in the knockout stages of the 2023 Hero Super Cup. Clifford Miranda had the task of denying a win to the 2021-22 ISL Champions, the Nizams, that would have handed them a spot in the next round of the tournament.

Odisha FC came back from a goal down to secure the win in a fabulous fashion. Diego Mauricio, with a goal and an assist, was again crucial in guiding the Juggernauts to victory. It was hardly surprising to see Clifford Miranda shower praises on the striker and the rest of the players for defeating Hyderabad FC and securing a spot in the semi-finals of the Hero Super Cup in his post-match press conference.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Players deserved it

Clifford Miranda was delighted with the result and was happy to see the players giving the effort to eke out the win in the end. He said, “Pleased with the efforts of the players. The attitude they showed in coming back, not just in this game but throughout the season. Once I started coaching them, the way they accepted me and responded to the methodology is fantastic. It's not just down to this game but since the beginning. The players deserved it more than anyone else.”

Clifford Miranda on Diego Mauricio and Nandhakumar Sekar

Speaking about his star striker Diego Mauricio, Clifford Miranda quipped, “For me, he is a scorer but he also creates. There are so many good aspects to his game. He brings us a lot more than just goals. He is a unique player, he uses his body and ability on the ball to create chances for himself and the team. Can he do more? Yes, he can. But it would be asking too much of him.”

“Nandha has always been a good player. He is in a good moment in his career. It's not much about scoring goals but also the work-rate that he gives and the effort he puts for the team which is commendable. I wish he has many more seasons like this because he is a fantastic player and a very good human being,” the tactician said while talking about Nandhakumar Sekar’s form.

Making the comeback

Clifford Miranda gave his players the credit for turning the game around in the second half. He said, “It is always the players that change things. As coaches, we can only help them here and there. No matter what we tell them, if they do not execute it, it does not happen (the comeback).”

“We were on track, had balance and more of the ball. It is just that we were conceding chances when we lost the ball in the middle and through set-pieces,” the tactician spoke about the performance in the first half.