We're in a difficult group but we'll fight, says Inter Kashi boss Carlos Santamarina

Inter Kashi trampled Rajasthan United to fetch a place in the Kalinga Super Cup 2024.

The 2024 Kalinga Super Cup commenced with an exciting qualifier, where Inter Kashi secured a resounding 5-0 victory over Rajasthan United at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

After the match, Inter Kashi’s head coach, Carlos Santamarina, conveyed his satisfaction with the victory and emphasized the team’s overarching objective of persevering until the final minutes of every game.

Pleasing performance of the team

No doubt Inter Kashi made a statement with their performance in the very first match. Coach Carlos Santamarina looked confident while addressing the post-match interview, as he said, “I am really happy with the score, because after the break in December we only had four training sessions. As we are a new team, it was also important for us to play the tournament, and now we have also qualified for the next stage.”

Substitutes leaving a mark 

Inter Kashi demonstrated their squad-depth in the match, with two of their substitutes contributing goals. When questioned about the same, Carlos said, “We have almost 30 players in the squad and everybody is working hard. We also try to utilize our bench strength in the matches, and so far they have been doing well.”

Getting into the group stage

After claiming victory, Inter Kashi have now joined Odisha FC, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa in Group D. Notably, Odisha FC hold the title of defending champions, while both Bengaluru FC and FC Goa have previously secured the championship in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Carlos Santamarina acknowledged being part of a challenging group in the tournament, yet expressed his dedication to competing fiercely in every match. He said, “Yes, we are in a difficult group, but we will fight. The spirit of our team has always been to fight till the end. For us and our players, it’s a very good chance to show what we can do. Passionately, we will face three of the best teams in the country in the coming days.”

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