Juan Ferrando: Maziya are totally different from last season

Mohun Bagan boss Juan Ferrando is treating AFC Cup home games like finals.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant are set to host Maziya S&RC in their first home game of the 2023-24 AFC Cup group stages on Monday (2 October) at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata. It’s a crucial one for the Mariners, who need to build on their winning momentum to take control of their group.

Juan Ferrando’s thoughts on the game

Ahead of the game, Juan Ferrando voiced the importance of the game and said: “This match is special because Maizya won their last game. We’ll try to do our best and get the three points. It’ll be an interesting match tomorrow and it won’t be easy, but we’ll fight for the three points.”

How does Ferrando rate Maziya?

Ferrando also had some kind words for Maziya, praising their improvement from last season. He explained: “We can talk about some details. For me, the most important is to think about my team. Tomorrow it’ll be difficult because Maizya won the last match 3-1 against Bashundhara, who have a lot of experience in this competition. They played in the AFC Champions League in the last round. We are taking it one step at a time to improve a lot of aspects. The quality of the foreign players is very good and they’re improving in the quality of national players too. We are hopeful to try and show our best performance.

“They have improved a lot. Their last match against us is a past. If you remember that, the first and second goal was a mistake in a build-up of the opponent. They have improved in this and don’t take risks. They are totally different from the last season, because they’re improving the quality of their local players. Their plan is different than the last time. They are more comfortable with the ball, more aggressive in the attack and we need to control the details in these aspects. This is a big stadium, so when you give them spaces, it can be dangerous for us,” he also added.

Importance of the home games in AFC Cup

The Mohun Bagan boss also opened up on the importance of the group games at home, stating that they are as big as finals.

He said: “Tomorrow, the most important thing is to think about our performances and mental state. We have a lot of matches in a short span and all are crucial for us. It’s necessary for us to focus on ourselves, be ready and comfortable on the field and try to find the spaces, and win duels. They have a good set of players and we need to push in the attacking style. We’re playing at home, and we only have six matches in the group stages. So, it’s necessary to take more points at home. The home matches in the group stages are like a final.”

Maziaya’s strengths?

When asked about Maziya’s special strengths, Juan Ferrando said: “They have a lot of good details. In this match, in an international competition like AFC, we can’t focus on one detail because there are a lot of details. The players want to show their best performance now. Their plan is interesting. Sometimes you change details depending on playing at home, away or playing in a league or knockout competition. A group stage is of three (home) matches, so you need to take risks on both aspects. The opponents thinking is not in my hands. I can only lose energy in my players and implementing our plan.”

Playing extra foreigner an advantage?

Finally, when asked if the ability to play the extra (six) foreign players is advantageous for the Mariners, Ferrando stated: “If you watched the Odisha game, we only played five foreign players. I’m not thinking about the foreigners or the age of players when choosing line-ups. I see who's more ready and fresh depending on matches. We could bench some players for this game who could start the next ISL game.

"I’m not thinking about the advantage of foreign players in the AFC Cup. For me, it’s to find the best line-up and prepare the best plan. I’m very happy with all my players. Our target is to win. Tomorrow is very important because it’s a pleasure for the foreign players and coaches to be in this competition. I hope to play a lot of matches in this AFC Cup,” he finished off with.