Very proud of our second half performance: Hyderabad FC coach Thangboi Singto

Singto also spoke about his views on upcoming game against Odisha FC.

Hyderabad FC played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with NorthEast United in their recent 2023-24 Indian Super League fixture on Sunday. The contest at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati saw plenty of action but not a lot of goals. An own goal by Nim Dorjee Tamang gave the Highlanders an early lead but the equaliser by Petteri Pennanen gave the Nizams a point in the end.

Thangboi Singto, head coach of Hyderabad FC, praised his players for their efforts. They had to defend well to keep NorthEast United attackers at bay. The visitors had more ball possession whereas the hosts created more scoring chances. Despite extending their winless run to nine games, the tactician was focused on the positives from the game in the post-match conference.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Proud of the boys

Thangboi Singto praised his players for hanging in there and making a comeback against a spirited NorthEast United that had plenty of good chances to score early in the match. “We were lucky in the first half. Otherwise, we could have conceded maybe two, or three goals. It hit the post twice, thrice, I can’t remember. NorthEast United FC are a strong team, they have experienced foreigners and (their) Indian players have been in the ISL for a long period. So, we are very proud of our boys in the second half and the way we came back,” he said.

Need to be patient

The tactician spoke about being patient with the players who will eventually hit their stride and deliver that first win of the season for Hyderabad FC. He said, “I don’t want to be critical. I understand that some of the players are coming back after 4 or 5 matches. So I don’t want to pinpoint anybody. I think we have to give them time. We have to give them that confidence and assurance that, hey, you keep on doing well, you’ll get your chances.”

Focus on ourselves

Thangboi Singto praised the foreign contingent of Odisha FC which comprises Diego Mauricio and Roy Krishna. However, he insisted that Hyderabad FC needs to focus on itself before their crucial clash with the Kalinga Warriors. “We would rather focus on ourselves, on the areas we need to improve than worry too much. Let’s see what happens on the field,” he concluded.

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