Hugo Boumous: We've come to Kozhikode to be champions

The ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder expects a tough challenge against Jamshedpur FC.

Hugo Boumous started the Hero Super Cup campaign in impressive fashion with a brilliant showing in ATK Mohun Bagan’s 5-1 win over Gokulam Kerala. He not only scored a goal, but also set up a few of them to inspire his side to a big win.

Thoughts on Gokulam Kerala triumph

As the Mariners prepare for the upcoming clash against fellow Indian Super League (ISL) side Jamshedpur FC, Hugo Boumous is pleased with his side’s start in the competition. He mentioned: “We started the Super Cup campaign exactly the way we wanted to. Now our objective is to look forward to the Jamshedpur clash. Last year, we lost to Gokulam Kerala in the AFC Cup. They’re a strong I-League side, so our game against them wasn’t easy at all.

“However, the evolution and major improvements that our squad has made over the last year were on for a show in the last game. It’s true that the ISL title success has added a lot of confidence into the squad. The coach as well as the players have been affected by it. We’re playing as a team. We’re all giving our 100% in all the games. We all want to win this tournament and lift the trophy,” he added.

Aware of Jamshedpur FC threat

Hugo Boumous is aware of the threats that Jamshedpur FC possess, especially their set-piece prowess. The midfielder explained: “Jamshedpur scored five goals in their opening match against Goa. As a result, our next match will be a tough challenge. We saw their match, their set-piece routines are really good. They scored a lot of goals through set pieces. We need to keep that in mind. They’re a really clinical side in good form with some really physical players, which helps with their playing style. The ISL and Super Cup are completely different competitions.

“This is a knock-out based style. Only one side progresses from the group. So drawing a game is as bad as losing. That’s why we aren’t thinking about anything but winning the game. We’re focused on just winning. Not just me, but the entire team played well in the first match. Four players scored, which included an amazing brace from Liston (Colaco) and Manvir (Singh) also scored. This is good for the development of the team,” he further quipped.

ATK Mohun Bagan taking things one game at a time

Finally, Hugo Boumous insists that ATK Mohun Bagan have come to Kerala to lift the trophy – but are taking things one game at a time. He stated: “We’ve come to Kozhikode to be the champions. But we’re not just thinking about that during games. We’re taking things one game at a time. We’ll need to face FC Goa after Jamshedpur. We need to win all the group games to move on to the semi-finals. We’re currently focused on the Jamshedpur clash. They’ll also head into the game with a lot of confidence. That’s why we need to start the game well and look to seal a win from the get-go.”