UNB, Chittagong :
TC Sports Club of the Maldives will take on Pocheon Citizen FC of Korea in the final of the eight-team Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup Football 2017 at MA Aziz Stadium here today (Friday) with both the teams expressing their optimism to lift the trophy.
The title-deciding match will kick off at 6:30 pm local time.
Addressing a pre-match press conference at MA Aziz Stadium in the port city on Thursday, coaches and captains of both the finalists expressed their hope that they will win the tournament.
Head coach of TC Sports Club Nizam Mohamed said, “It’ll be a tough game….my only focus is to win the game and we’re ready and well-prepared to win the match.”
When his attention was drawn at the fact that Pocheon Citizen FC will be a tough opponent as they made it to the final beating defending champions Chittagong Abahani, the TC head coach said, “I think they should have the same feeling as we beat the current local league champions (Dhaka Abahani). So, it’s the same thing.”
“The only thing that matters is the game between them and us is how the players walk on the field tomorrow,” he added.
Asked who is favourite to win the final after making 1-1 draw with Pocheon in the group stage, Nizam Mohamed said, “It’s better if we don’t talk about favourite and underdogs because in football, on a bad day, even the world champions could be beaten by a lower ranked team.”
He also said he is confident enough to lift the trophy, saying Pocheon will also come out to the field to win the game. “So, we should respect them.”
Nizam Mohamed also stated that his team no longer has any injury problem as his injured Egyptian defender had already recovered before the semifinal match.
he head coach of the Maldivian team concluded his speech by thanking the football community of Chittagong and Bangladesh in general.
After Nizam Mohamed, head coach of Pocheon Citizen FC Kim Jae Young said, “First of all, we’re very happy that we made it to the final. Now, our target is to win the game.”
