‘No option but to win’: Victor Lalbiakmawia issues rallying cry for Aizawl FC ahead of Shillong Lajong FC game

The People’s Club faces a must-win encounter against the Red Dragons in matchweek 21.

The much-anticipated Northeast derby of the I-League is set to take centre stage as Aizawl FC faces off against home side Shillong Lajong FC in a do-or-die game at the SSA Stadium in Shillong. The match scheduled to kick off at 7 PM will determine whether the club will play in the I-League next season depending on other results.

A fixture which holds significant importance for former I-League winners Aizawl FC, who are currently battling for survival alongside SC Bengaluru.

The Mizoram-based team sits 11th in the standings with 19 points, while their closest competitor, SC Bengaluru, holds 10th place with 20 points, one point separating both sides.

Aizawl FC feels league standings do not reflect team performance

Ahead of the game against Shillong Lajong FC, Victor Lalbiakmawia, the head coach of Aizawl FC, spoke at the pre-match press conference about the stakes.

He shared how playing against Shillong has always been tough over the years. Lalbiakmawia shared, “This is the Northeast Derby, and this Derby is always tough. We lost our home game against Shillong Lajong FC at home. The team has very good foreigners and very good local players who are performing well. The game is going to be difficult.”

Lalbiakmawia is confident about his players

The coach expressed faith in the squad. He stated, “I have a lot of faith in my team. The position we are in now doesn’t reflect the performance of our boys. Every match they gave a hundred percent.”

The club head coach added, “Without the foreigners, it has been difficult, but the boys I have right now are doing well despite not getting positive results. But I do believe the boys can fight it out against the Shillong team.”

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Last gasp for survival from Aizawl FC

The Aizawl FC gaffer emphasised that Aizawl FC does not have any option other than winning the next two I-League fixtures. He stated, “We are in a relegation battle directly with Sporting Club Bengaluru. In this situation, every match we need to have a better result than this club. Nothing less than a win would help us climb out of the relegation zone. It’s going to be very crucial and difficult.”

He reiterated that the club cannot give up, that it is not in their DNA. He also conceded that they do not have any other option other than winning. With the stakes as they are, the onus falls on the People’s Club to believe they can get the job done.

What went wrong for Aizawl FC?

At the start of the season, the Mizoram-based I-League outfit opted to play the season with an all-Mizo squad. However, in February, the club signed one foreigner to bring some much needed experience to their ranks.

When asked what went wrong and why the team did not include any foreigners, the coach commented, “The decision of not including the foreigners, I think, is not up to the coach; it’s up to the management.

He also admitted the difficulty of retaining players for a long time for a club like Aizawl FC, whose budget is very limited. While explaining the struggle, the coach said, “For us, it is very difficult to hold on to these boys, players, for three or four years to build a very good squad. So every year, especially in Aizawl’s team, I can remember almost six or seven players are scouted or taken from us by the I-League and other clubs and the ISL teams.”

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