There are a lot of positives to take away from this match: Mumbai City coach Anthony Fernandes

Mumbai City played the match with an all Indian lineup

In a thrilling encounter at the Azadi Stadium, Mumbai City FC battled Nassaji Mazandaran in the AFC Champions League 2023-24, but faced a formidable 2-0 defeat. The exceptionally skilled Mohammad Reza Azadi stole the spotlight with a display of world-class finesse, securing Nassaji’s triumph. Adding to the drama was an unfortunate own goal by Halen Nongtdu.

With head coach Des Buckingham’s departure and the absence of foreign players, Mumbai City FC navigated a challenging scenario, struggling to dictate the match’s tempo in the initial half. Despite a more promising second-half effort, the Islanders couldn’t reverse the score line, marking a demanding chapter in their journey.

Let’s take a look on what head coach Anthony Fernandes has to share after the match:

Thoughts on the game

The Islanders, currently languishing in the last position of their AFC Champions League 2023-24 group stage, were playing for pride against Nassaji Mazandaran. It was a hard fought game for both teams, but it was the Iran based club that clinched the victory. When Anthony Fernandes was asked about his thoughts on the game, he replied, 

“We always expected a tougher game for us and that’s how it was. Not so happy with the result, but very happy and proud of the performance that was put in by the players, as most of them have started for the first time in the matches.”

“So result wise, I am disappointed. But there are a lot of positives to take away from this match, as we head to another ACL match and then the ISL league. So, there were a lot of positives to take from this game”, the head coach added. 

Future in the ACL

This is the third time an Indian team has participated in the AFC Champions League. Anthony Fernandes replied, “Well this is the third time an Indian team has participated in the ACL. It’s going to take some time, it’s not going to be easy to be in the top ACL clubs. But we are gradually growing and putting our best foot forward.”

Nassaji and hospitality of Iran

Nassaji Mazandaran did give a tough time to the Islanders in both the home and away matches. The tactician too emphasised on it, “Yes, it was supposed to be a tough match for us. Nassaji is a much more organised team with a lot of experienced players playing in the team. So we knew we were against a strong team and with a very good coach they are a very good team to beat.”

He also shed light on Iran’s hospitality, “We are very happy with how the Iranian people have looked after us. They have taken good care of us right from the time we arrived here. More friendly people to talk to, good organisation for us.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.