In absence of foreign players, game would be difficult against Churchill Brothers: Mumbai City coach Des Buckingham

Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], April 10 : Before the clash between Mumbai City and Churchill Brothers Goa at Super Cup, Mumbai head coach Des Buckingham said that it would be difficult for them considering the unavailability of foreign players.

Mumbai head coach Des Buckingham as quoted by All India Football Federation (AIFF) said, "It'll be different for us because the foreign players will not be here. But I've spoken about trying to build this club in the last two years, by developing Indian players."

Notably, Churchill Brothers had qualified for the Super Cup and now they are taking on Mumbai who have booked their spot in the AFC Champions League Group Stage.

After qualifying, Mumbai City have decided to give more opportunities to their local players, and have thus decided to bring an all-Indian squad to Kerala for the Super Cup.

Mumbai city coach is excited to witness what their talented Indian players have to offer in the group Stages.

"They have contributed heavily to the success that we've had so far, so I'm excited to see what we can do and to see what these players can produce now against what will be three very good teams in the Group Stage," he said.

The Mumbai City coach emphasized on the importance of controlling the proceedings against Churchill Brothers and playing an attacking brand of football.

"We'll be as prepared as we think we can be for the game against Churchill. We want to have control of what we have and continue playing a very attacking brand of football, be it against teams from the I-League or the ISL," he said.

Churchill Brothers Goa Mateus Costa believed that Super Cup is a great opportunity for I-League teams.

Head coach Mateus Costa added, "The Super Cup is a brilliant opportunity for the I-League sides to rub shoulders with the ISL teams. There is no pressure on the shoulders of our boys, and I hope they can go out there, enjoy their football, and express themselves on the pitch."

Mumbai City FC had a dream season as they have won the ISL Shield, and more recently, have beaten Jamshedpur FC in the Club Playoff to book themselves a spot in next season's AFC Champions League Group Stage.

"Mumbai City are a very good side, with a lot of quality players. Their gameplay is one of the best in India, and it will for sure be a tough challenge for us all," said Costa.

Foreign duo Ansumana Kromah and Martin Chaves's contribution at the front have given an advantage to Churchill Brothers that helped them put six past Real Kashmir in the qualifiers.

Churchill Brothers have benefited from the presence of foreign duo Ansumana Kromah and Martin Chaves at the front, a lethal combination that helped them put six past Real Kashmir in the qualifiers.

"It's really good for us that both Kromah and Chaves have formed such a great partnership up front. They both understand and compliment each other," he said. "They are an important part of the team, and I'm very happy to see Kromah come in and score so many goals on his debut."

The match between Mumbai City FC and Churchill Brothers FC Goa will be held at the Manjeri Payyanad at 5 pm IST on Tuesday.

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