Pune FC came from a goal down to defeat East Bengal 2-1 in an I-League Round-10 encounter at the Barasat Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking after the first win over the Kolkata side after four years, Pune FC Asst. Coach Gift Raikhan was happy and praised his players for their effort.
Highlighting the importance of the result, he said, “The win was a very important one not just for the team but for the entire club and the fans. We had a tough period where the results didn’t go our way but the club management and the fans stood behind us so we would like to dedicate this win to them.”
Talking about the team’s approach to the game, he added, “Yes, we did have a set plan for this game after analysing our previous match against East Bengal. We worked on it for the entire week and we executed it almost perfectly. Right from the keeper to the striker to the substitutes, everyone played their part well.”
While medio Ishfaq Ahmed scored his first Pune FC goal coming back from injury after two months, striker Thongkhosiem Haokip ended his drought by scoring his twelfth goal of the season. Coach Raikhan praised the effort from these players and insisted the importance of hard work.
He said, “Every player has his time. We need to make the most of it. Talking about Ishfaq and Haokip, we have worked a lot with them recently. I put Ishfaq on the left because I know he is comfortable in that role and similarly Haokip too is much more comfortable playing up there as a striker. Both the guys have also worked hard individually and getting the goals is a result of that. Simply put, there is no substitute for hard work.”
