Ailing Mahindras hope for revival

Mahindras is a young side with three Tata Football Academy boys in their ranks and four imports in the form of Nepalese — Hari Khadka, Balgopal and Nigerians — Onyeka Okafor, Valentine Ezugo. Of the four, Ezugo has not taken the field so far in the League.

Mahindras coach Deryck de Sousa while summing up the team’s display said, “the players are aggressive, fast paced and play to a plan. But the only thing they don’t do is score.”

Mahindracaptain Rehmatullah Khan, who was outstanding in the last match against Indian Bank along with Sushanta Mazumdar, stands like a rock in defence while their rejuvenated play-maker Santosh Kashyap has been outstanding in the league. With his long range shots, he can punch holes in the Air-India defence marshalled by international Jeevan Moras, Ajay Acharya, Subir Sinha and Khambiton Singh.

But the good news for Mahindras is that Nigerian defender Onyeka Okafor who suffered a deep cut on his cheek against FC Kochi, is fit and could take the field from the start. Khalid Siddique, who is yet to play a match in the League because of a abdominal muscle pull, will stay out of the starting line up again.

“Most of the A-I players have earlier played under me, so I know they are good and gutsy. But my boys are competent enough to shock anybody,” remarked de Sousa on the eve of the match.

Air-India’s injury problems lie with defender Henry Picardo, who has ligament problem and it could take another six months forhim to recover.

Jacinto de Silva is recovering from an ankle injury. Air-India coach Bimal Ghosh would not go into details of the injured as they have sufficient substitutes. But Ghosh is likely to field the same combination which clicked against Indian Bank.

Godfrey Pereira, with his accurate passes and timely interceptions that fetched him the Man of the Match award against Indian Bank, could again be the man to be marked by Mahindras. But the airmen will have to do the same with Santosh Kashyap. A few years back, Pereira and Kashyap formed one of the best combinations for Mahindras in the local circuit.

Pereira will be assisted by N Khentang Paite, who can be dangerous with his penetrating runs.

Ghosh optimism was reflected in his opinion: “in home matches, you have an advantage. It is difficult to get points in away matches. But my boys are capable of breaching any defence.”

Mahindras drew both their matches with A-I in the Western India Football Association Super Division League. And they have not faced each other in any other tournament so far this season. In the inaugural League, Mahindras lost to Air-India but they won the qualifiers in Goa.