It’s not going to be easy for us or anyone for that matter: Chennaiyin FC assistant coach Sabir Pasha on league’s competition

As the level of the competition has increased in the Indian Super League over the years, Chennaiyin FC assistant coach Sabir Pasha reckons it’s not easy for them or any other club to be consistent with their performances. Pasha feels a team that plays better Football on the given day has a better chance of winning.

Chennaiyin FC had a disappointing previous season in Hero Indian Super as they could only manage three wins out of the 20 matches they played and thus could only finish in the eighth place in the standings.

“Practice sessions are going well. It’s difficult to gel when you have new players in your team but pre-season has been going right for us and we have done very well. They [players] have been showing great progress as a unit. We played warm-up matches and players know what we require from them. We are settled now as a unit and ready to go,” Pasha said while addressing the media during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

Marina Machans started their pre-season on September 26 and they have played five warm-up matches against fellows ISL teams, which has helped them to prepare for the upcoming season.

“It’s not going to be easy for us or anyone for that matter. In ISL, it’s all about how you perform on that particular day. Our immediate target is to win matches and we cannot do like last season, creating chances and not finishing. We just have to put the ball in the net. That’s our main target,” added Pasha, who has been with Chennaiyin FC since 2016.

On the other hand, the team’s young gun Rahim Ali wants to keep things and deliver the goods for the team in the upcoming tourney.

“If I am playing as a No. 9 so my role is the same as U-23. Play simple and help the team. I will try to help the team for the whole 90 minutes if I get the chance to do so. That is my main target this season,” Rahim said.

Chennaiyin FC will begin their Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 campaign on November 23 against Hyderabad FC at the Athletic Stadium, Bambolim in Goa.