Mumbai City survived a major shocker as they left it late to win 2-1 against Churchill Brothers FC Goa in their Super Cup opening fixture at the Payyanad Stadium in Kerala.
It was Ansumana Kromah who gave Churchill Brothers the lead within the first ten minutes but soon the Islanders equalized through a Mehtab Singh header from a Rowllin Borges cross. However, they left it late as Lallianzuala Chhangte converted from the spot to bag all three points for the Islanders.
Borges was adjudged the man of the match for his majestic performance in the middle of the park. He played as a deep-lying playmaker and was exceptional for the Islanders in dictating the play and playing out progressive passes which helped them get back in the game.
Speaking after the match, Borges hailed the fighting spirit of his teammates and felt that it was required after going down early on in the match. “It was a difficult game. I think the important thing was we kept fighting as a team and we knew if we keep fighting, we will get something and everyone fought till the end. Eventually, we got the penalty, we scored and got the three points,” Borges stated.
He was also impressed with the way the Churchill Brothers played and how they put in a tough shift and almost managed to earn a draw. “They (Churchill Brothers) were fighting but I think one small mistake cost them their match. It was a tough team to beat,” the 30-year-old midfielder added.
With this win, Mumbai City are second in the group as Chennaiyin FC have thrashed NorthEast United 4-2 in their respective fixture. Borges feels it is very important to start on a positive note in these tournaments. “It is always important to get a good start in any tournament. We got the start and now we have to keep pushing each other,” Borges shared.
Lastly, he believes that if they keep pushing each other then the team will move forward and will be able to secure a position in the semifinals. Mumbai City have deployed an all-Indian lineup for the Super Cup.
“As you can see we are an all-Indian squad, so we keep pushing each other so we can get the result and qualify for the semis,” he concluded.
Mumbai City FC will face NorthEast United next in their second group-stage clash on April 15 followed by the final group-stage game on April 19 against Chennaiyin FC.
