My players are very strong mentally, asserts Bozidar Bandovic

Chennaiyin FC will be eager to carry forward from their win as they square off against Kerala Blasters FC in their seventh 2021-22 Hero Indian Super League match at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa on Wednesday.

The two-time ISL champions bounced back with a 2-1 triumph over Odisha FC in their last match and also regained their position in the top four.

Chennaiyin FC’s head coach Bozidar Bandovic is aware of the challenges the Yellow Army pose, but expressed confidence in his unit, saying they have developed a winning mentality.

“My players are very strong mentally. They show good attitude in every game and don’t give up till the end. This is how I like to build a team. Each team has their strengths and we need to use ours to win the games,” Bandovic said while addressing the media during the team’s virtual pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Chennaiyin hold an edge over Kerala Blasters when it comes to the head-to-head record as they have emerged victorious on six occasions in their last 16 ISL meetings. Kerala Blasters, on the other hand, have managed to win three while seven games have ended in draws.

“They [KBFC] are a good team and have secured a good win a couple of days ago. We need to have a good balance in attacking and defending. You need to prepare yourself according to the opponents. Like other teams, they also have strong individuals that we need to take care of,” he further added.

With majority of the possession and seven shots on target, Bandovic addressed the finishing but also emphasised on the importance of putting pressure on the opponents by creating chances.

“It means nothing to me if you are playing attacking and not making chances. In most of the games we were dangerous as we created chances. If you see statistics, it will tell you clearly. For me, creating chances is more important. We will score goals,” he said.

Serbian defender Slavko Damjanovic has been a standout performer alongside other Indian players in the defence and was adjudged man of the match against Odisha.

“It’s important to [look at] the team role. He’s [Damjanovic] been playing very well but as I always say we don’t depend on one player, it’s teamwork. He’s a foreigner and needs to make a difference. The way the team has played, it helped him as well as other players to put on good performances. That is more important,” the coach concluded.