Mohammedan SC Coach Andrey Chernyshov Proud Despite Loss to NorthEast United FC in ISL Debut

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 17: Mohammedan SC (MSC) head coach Andrey Chernyshov expressed satisfaction with his team's fighting spirit despite their 0-1 loss to NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) in their first Indian Super League (ISL) game at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday.

Moroccan striker Alaeddine Ajaraie scored the winning goal for NEUFC in the 93rd minute. Despite the defeat, Chernyshov's team showed strong resistance against the Durand Cup 2024 winners. Mohammedan SC dominated ball possession with 61% and had an 81% passing accuracy. Players like Alexis Gomez, Mirjalol Kasimov, and Franca created several chances, but the team struggled to score.

Chernyshov acknowledged the scoring issues but remained optimistic. He said, "We could have won this match also. I said before that we need to take this ISL experience. I think we did not play bad. We also created some good chances. We did not score, but they scored. This is where we need to work. We need to work on how we can score goals. I'm happy with how my team played; they kept fighting and running."

He also noted the significant difference between I-League and ISL but was pleased with his team's performance. "Many people were worried about our first match because we are moving from I-League to ISL. There is a big difference between I-League and ISL. But we came to the ground and played nice football with many good actions," Chernyshov remarked.

Looking ahead, Mohammedan SC will face FC Goa in their next league fixture. Chernyshov urged his players to work hard and present challenges for other teams. "We are here not only to gift points to other teams. If they want to take points, they need to fight against us like NorthEast United FC did today," he stated. "We continue to work and hope to be better match by match and start taking points," he concluded.