Have 26 players, everybody's ready to play: Juan Pedro Benali on Asheer's absence

Midfielder Gani Nigam said that his team needs to score early.

NorthEast United FC will take on an undefeated Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. The Highlanders played out a disappointing 1-1 draw against Hyderabad at the same venue last week.

They will now look to return to winning ways come Friday. Ahead of the match, NorthEast United FC’s head coach Juan Pedro Benali and midfielder Gani Nigam addressed the media and shared their thoughts.

Mood in the camp

Speaking about the mood in his camp, the head coach said that after the frustrating draw against Hyderabad FC his team is now preparing to face one of the best teams in the country.

“We talked a little bit about that game and we know that we should’ve taken more points. Sometimes, the result doesn’t let us see the big picture. It was a good game, but we missed a lot of chances. Now we are preparing to play against one of the best teams in India,” he stated.

Asheer’s absence

NorthEast United FC will miss the services of their star Indian defender Asheer Akhtar who will miss the game due to a suspension. Speaking about his absence, the head coach said that the other players will chip in for him.

“Well Asheer is important for us, but at the same time he will be supporting us from the stands. I think the players will be doing the job. You know, as I told you the other day, we have 26 players, and everybody’s ready to play,” he asserted.

Thoughts on the opposition

The Spaniard shared his thoughts on Mohun Bagan Super Giant and said that they are a very good team.

“It is a good team, a very good team. Any player can make the difference. But we’re not gonna look at the money.. You know, money makes a difference in the long term and short term.”

He also said that his team knows what needs to be done and what need not be done.

“Sometimes it’s not because you spend more money you win, we have the example of Paris Saint Germain. We are a fighting team and we know what we should do and what we shouldn’t, and we’ll see them on the pitch,” he added.

Gani’s comments

Unconverted chances

The midfielder shared his thoughts on his side’s unconverted chances. He said that it is very frustrating because not converting the chances builds up pressure on the team

“Of course we are frustrated because if we don’t score early, the pressure is building up. So, it is very important that we score early in the game,” he said.

Mental strength

Speaking about the importance of being strong mentally, the player said, “Being mentally strong is very important. We will definitely make mistakes, but we need to move on. There are a lot of changes match by match. There’s a huge difference in comparison to last season,” he signed off.

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