PANAJI
Ahead of Indian Super League 2020-21, Jamshedpur FC head coach Owen Coyle arrived in India on Thursday morning, along with his deputy Sandy Stewart to begin preparations for the new season.
ISL 2019-20 Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis and defender Peter Hartley also landed on Indian shores along with their head coach. The Lithuanian striker met up with Coyle and Hartley at Heathrow airport after flying in from his country and landed in Goa, where the upcoming ISL season will be hosted behind closed doors due to COVID-19 protocols. Meanwhile, the remainder of their foreign contingent will be joining the squad in a few days’ time.
“Owen and his company looked very cheerful and confident after landing in Goa. The foreign players and their Indian counterparts will go through fitness drills at their respective hotel rooms from tomorrow,” a member of the team management told ISL website.
The Indian players in the Jamshedpur squad also began arriving in Goa on Thursday. Tata Football Academy graduate Mobashir Rahman travelled to Ranchi by road before taking a flight to Goa, while Sandip Mandi and Jitendra Singh flew in from Kolkata. The foreigners who arrived on Thursday will undergo a 14-day quarantine and the Indian players will be quarantined for 10 days.
Following their quarantine, the players can look forward to getting back on the pitch for their pre-season training. Jamshedpur will be conducting their outdoor training sessions at Sangolda ground. The team will be looking to qualify for their first-ever ISL playoffs, having placed their trust in Owen Coyle, who was integral to Chennaiyin FC’s impressive turnaround last season.
Jamshedpur have signed a plethora of talent, both Indian and foreign, including the likes of 26-year-old Nigerian international Stephen Eze as well as experienced Brazilian Alex Lima. Among their Indian recruits, Jackichand Singh and Laldinliana Renthlei will be key to Coyle’s system, while William Lalnunfela and Bhupender Singh will be looking to make their Hero ISL debuts.
