Pune FC heads into the 36th Federation Cup in Goa after an impressive start to the season. Having made it to two consecutive finals this year, the FC squad will be eager to impress in the country’s premier knockout cup competition this year.
Ahead the opener against Shillong Lajong FC on Monday, PuneFC.com caught up with Coach Karim Bencherifa for a quick chat.
Excerpts;
We ended the year 2014 finishing runners- up in two big competitions. Your thoughts as we head into the new-year…
First of all, season’s greetings to all and a Happy New Year. I hope the new-year will be full of health for the fans and also brings success for their beloved club, Pune FC.
As you know, we started preparing for these two important tournaments – the Federation Cup and the I-League which follows – way back in July. We lined up several camps and also played two very competitive tournaments – the Durand Cup in Goa and the King’s Cup in Bhutan, which proved that Pune FC is a very competitive team. We were a bit unlucky to finish runners-up in both.
How is the team shaping ahead of the Federation Cup?
The team is shaping up good and the team spirit is great. We will complete three sessions before we face Shillong Lajong FC in the first game, but it will be very tough as we are seeing all the teams strengthen their squads with several new signings. Our group is definitely the toughest, no question about that. We have the I-League champions of last season in Bengaluru FC, we have Salgaocar FC who we faced in the Durand Cup finals and are a good side. Furthermore, we also have Mohun Bagan who we faced in the semifinal of the King’s Cup in Bhutan along with Shillong Lajong.
So it’s a very competitive group, but I have full faith on the team and on every single player who has travelled. I promise the fans and the club, that we will do our best to have a good Federation Cup.
Keeping in view the congested schedule, how do you plan to prepare the team for the upcoming competitions?
We’ve played a couple of tournaments since the start of the season as preparation for the Federation Cup and the I-League. Now, as we approach the Federation Cup, it will also be a preparation for the I-League, as we will be facing the same teams in both competitions.
It’s a very congested schedule from now on, and we are playing back-to-back games every two to three days. Right now, it is more about working on the tactical side of the game rather than on the fitness. At the same time, the scheduling of the sessions as to when we do the recovery and work on the strategy is going to be very important to keep the players in a good shape.
How important is to have a big squad ahead of a very busy five-month period?
It is very important to have a big squad because of a congested schedule. Not just that, but all the players in the squad should also be prepared as there will be few minor injuries every now and then which is normal.
The good thing about the Federation Cup is that we will have a good idea about the teams, but at the same time other sides will also have a good idea about us. So it will all depend on who will strategize and work better.
This is an important phase for us and I wish that we, Pune FC, keep carrying forward the good work. Many teams have gone all out getting big players from the ISL, but football is more about the team than the individuals you have. And that’s why we work on these few aspects that are very important because it’s not enough only to have good players but they need to be very fit. They also need to have a game plan that they agree with and are comfortable playing and most importantly has a very good team spirit.
