ISL 2025-26: Odisha FC coach Purushothaman and Amrinder Singh speak ahead of Chennaiyin FC clash

Amrinder Singh praises Clifford Miranda ahead of Chennaiyin clash

Odisha FC will welcome Chennaiyin FC to the Kalinga Stadium for an early evening kickoff on Sunday. Both clubs are chasing their first win in their 2025-26 Indian Super League campaign and this would be the best chance for either side.

Visitors Chennaiyin FC have lost both their games so far and are under pressure going into this game. Odisha on the other hand picked up a 1-1 draw with Inter Kashi against all odds.

Odisha FC’s head coach TG Purushothaman and Amrinder Singh attended the pre-match press conference and here is what they said.

Odisha FC coach backs team’s chances ahead of Chennaiyin FC clash

Talking about their upcoming game against Chennaiyin FC and how his team would play.

Head coach TG Purushothaman said, “Everything depends on space management and we have planned accordingly. From my point of view, it’s all regarding space management and how we create space and how we deny their space.”

“Also, it depends on how we press them, how we channelize them. It all depends on this. We’ll see what happens. We have all experienced players, and they have all the freedom to do accordingly in the match.”

Amrinder talks about facing Clifford Miranda

Chennaiyin FC manager Clifford Miranda is someone who is in the hearts of the Odisha FC fans. As an interim manager, he helped the Kalinga Warriors win the 2023 Super Cup and helped them qualify for the AFC Cup.

Amrinder Singh said, “Of course I worked under him in the Super Cup and if you remember we won the Super Cup. He is a very nice guy, and he always stays connected to football. And as you know, this is football, today you play against them, maybe tomorrow you play with them.”

“We will need to fight. Of course, we know it’s not going to be an easy game because Chennaiyin have a very good team and with a very good coaching staff also. We need to most importantly focus on ourselves and stick to our coach’s plan. Whatever is there and we will try to fight till the end.”

Purushothaman praises his side for keeping a clean sheet against Inter Kashi.

Having hardly got any preseason training, Inter Kashi were the favorites against Purushothaman’s Odisha FC in the last game. However, the hosts showed grit and character, keeping a clean sheet and securing a point against all odds.

Talking about the first game, the Odisha FC head coach said, “I think when it’s a goalless draw and if you see all the situation together, we only trained for four days with all the players. I think in football it’s when you start training really late, you can focus on one thing and we were focusing on the defense, how we are going to defend.”

“It’s easier to organize the defensive part than the attacking part. When you organize how you are going to attack, then you need more time, more sessions, then you can create how you can attack. I think we had only three days and all the staff did really well and even players also and I saw in the game that they were really so focused on at the last moment playing against Kashi.”

“I am so happy for the team, for staff, for the club, and also for the fans as we kept the clean sheet. Football is like this, when you have to attack you need time. When you have the first thing you can improve is defense and I think we did really well that day.”

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