We had asked for change in date or time for this match, says Sergio Lobera after loss to Chennaiyin FC

Sergio Lobera’s Odisha FC will next face Central Coast Mariners in the AFC Cup on March 7.

Odisha FC succumbed to a defeat to Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, which also brought down the curtains on their unbeaten streak of 13 matches in the 2023-24 Indian Super League. 

The post-match press conference was attended by the head coach of Odisha FC, Sergio Lobera, who congratulated his opponents for their victory and simultaneously expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the lack of time to prepare for the AFC Cup clash on March 7.

About the game

Although Odisha FC had several opportunities during the game, it were the Chennai-based outfit that capitalized on theirs and ultimately won the match in the final minutes. 

“It was a tough game for us. We were good in some periods of the game and created chances, but it’s okay to lose one game like this at the last moment of the match,” Sergio Lobera stated.

AFC Cup game ahead

After this match, Odisha FC will confront the Central Coast Mariners in the inter-zonal semi-final of the 2023-24 AFC Cup. The team has only a few days to prepare for this significant game. Coach Sergio Lobera conveyed his discontent regarding the minimal preparation time for the match. He said, “The AFC Cup match is a big one for us. We played a game today on the March 3. Next, we will travel for 24 hours and reach Australia on the March 5.

“We had asked for a change of date or change of time of the match. If today’s match would have been at 5 PM, then we could have caught a flight at night and reached the destination a bit earlier. And we are not just representing our club, we will represent the whole country over there,” he added.

Is Jahouh injured?

Ahmed Jahouh was substituted at the start of the second half. When a question arose about his fitness, the Spaniard replied, “No, he is not injured. He looked tired from the very beginning of the game. It was better to rest him to avoid injury.”

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