Football

Proud of my team: Antonio Habas after ATK Mohun Bagan reach AFC Cup inter zone semis

 

Antonio Lopez Habas was a happy coach after ATK Mohun Bagan sealed their AFC Cup inter zone semifinal berth. The Mariners required a draw against Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings in their AFC Cup Group D South Zone final match at the National Football Stadium in Male (Maldives) on Tuesday.

And the Mariners were able to achieve that as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The previous season ISL runners-up were down 0-1 but David Williams scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute of the game.

Habas feels his team dominated the whole contest and they could have scored more goals had they grabbed their chances.

Habas said after the game, “Expected the match to be tough. If you talk about the full 90 minutes, we played better. We dominated them. We could have scored more goals. We had a young reserve bench. That’s why we didn’t have the option to make many changes. Despite this situation, our boys played with a professional approach. Proud of them. Happy for them too. They played with discipline as I asked them,” he told the ATK Mohun Bagan media team.

The chief coach added that he asked his players to play their natural game during the interval break. Bashundhara Kings were down to 10 men as Sushanto Tripura was sent off by the referee at the fag end of first half.

“We knew about the limitations of Bashundhara. Knew that they would fight neck and neck in the first 45 minutes. That’s why, during the interval, I asked my boys to continue with their natural style of play. They played more physical than tactical football. Therefore, they had to play with ten men in the second half.

“Another red card should have been shown by the referee. We had a preparatory camp for only 20 days before coming here. Had to play without a foreigner today. It was too hot out there. Despite all this, the boys performed their best.”

Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan won their opening two matches of the AFC Cup Group D South Zone against Bengaluru FC (2-0) and Maziya S&RC (3-1). Thus, the Mariners topped the group with seven points after two wins and one draw from three matches.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024