MARGAO
Title contenders and five times champion Dempo Sports Club are targeting a victory against The Oranje FC in the inaugural match of I-League 2, on Saturday.
The league will be played on a home-and-away basis in a double round-robin format, with the top two teams being promoted to the 2024-25 I-League and the bottom two to be relegated to the 2024-25 I-League 3.
Head coach Samir Naik is aware that nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to playing the Second Division I-League 2 who won the title last year.
“We know the importance of the I-League title and we know that we have to continue playing with the same winning mentality, especially since this match is not like the league matches and we have to focus more,” Naik said on Wednesday.
“We are well aware of the importance and our goal is to reach the final and to win the title, and this is only possible if we win every game. We have to put forward all the players who are ready, as there is no room for experimenting in this important tournament,” said the former Dempo defender.
“By playing consistently well, we want to climb up the ladder, and the ultimate dream, for players and coaches, is to play in the I-League. I know it’s a long shot, lot of hard work needed, and this cannot be achieved overnight. titles. This is a happy moment for all of us,”said Samir Naik that the squad reinforce by the addition of seven players.
Dempo will be on a mission to redeem themselves after suffering group stage elimination last season. “The match will certainly be difficult. We respect the opposing team and look forward to achieving a win at the beginning of the journey. Of course, there are no easy matches, and the team that is able to impose its style on the course will be the closest to victory,” cautioned Samir.
