Staff Reporter

Panaji

Clifford Miranda, the coach of Odisha FC, is preparing his team for the Hero Club Playoffs against Gokulam Kerala FC. The game will be played on Saturday at the EMS Corporation Stadium, and the winner will advance to the group stage of the AFC Cup 2023-24.

Miranda is keen to keep his players grounded and focused on the present, despite the team’s recent Hero Super Cup victory. He emphasized that his team’s objective has been evolving since March 16 and that they will start again from zero. Miranda also stated that he will not make any undue changes to his team, and he will play the strongest available team in the hope of winning.

“We came here to Kozhikode with a set objective,” Miranda said, “And that objective kept evolving game by game. Yes, we won the Super Cup, but that was in the past. The players recognise that. I recognise that. We start again, from zero. What happened over the past few weeks won’t matter once we step on to the pitch. We start all over again.”

“We won’t change our way of playing, and while I’m not going to reveal my team, I will say that we will play the strongest team available in the hope to walk out with a win,” Clifford added.

On the other hand, Gokulam Kerala FC coach, Francesc Bonet, is looking to salvage a positive memory from a disappointing season. Gokulam Kerala FC lost all three group stage games in the Hero Super Cup, and they finished third in the Hero I-League 2022-23 season.

Bonet sees the Hero Club Playoffs as a great opportunity to finish the season with positive feelings. He has a lot of experienced and young players who are keen to put on a good performance and cap off their hard work.

The game between Gokulam Kerala FC and Odisha FC will be broadcast on the Sony Sports 2 channel and streamed on FanCode.

It is a crucial game for both teams, as the winner will advance to the group stage of the AFC Cup 2023-24. Clifford Miranda and Francesc Bonet are both determined to put their best team forward and secure the win.