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Hyderabad FC will travel to Kolkata to take on East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium in their inaugural game of the 10th edition of the Indian Super League on September 30.
Hyderabad were supposed to play against FC Goa on September 22. However, that game was postponed after the late inclusion of key players from both sides into the national team competing in the Asian Games.
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Addressing the media on Thursday, newly appointed head coach Thangboi Singto sounded confident about the campaign the Yellow and Black Brigade are about to embark upon.
Hyderabad play two back-to-back away games, against East Bengal on September 30 and Jamshedpur FC on October 5. They will then return home to face off against their southern rivals Chennaiyin FC at the Maidaan in Gachibowli on October 23.
"We are entering into the tenth edition of the ISL and we are excited for it. Hyderabad had a bumpy ride in the first season but now as former champions, we are very excited. It's a transition period for us as we have ten new players, but that's football. Any challenge that comes now, we have to fight for the glory of the club," Singto said.
Taking on opponents as fancied as East Bengal is never easy, and Singto does not shy away from admitting that.
Although Hyderabad got the better of the Torchbearers on both occasions in the ISL last season as well as in a pre-season friendly, he is not taking them lightly.
"East Bengal also have a new coach with a lot of new players coming in. We have already played against them in a friendly and that helped us in knowing how to approach them. Every ISL game is a challenge as all the teams have equal opportunities to win games," Singto said.
"When you are preparing for a team you have to consider all possibilities, both the strengths and the weaknesses. They have two players who have played previously with us. They know us and we know them," he added.
Midfielder Hitesh Sharma, who graced the press conference, also mentioned how big a challenge it will be to take on the Torchbearers, especially at the Salt Lake Stadium. He said:
"East Bengal are a good side and we have seen that in the Durand Cup. We have prepared well and are ready for the challenge they will pose to us. We are looking to be as competitive as possible."
"Salt Lake is a huge stadium. The dimensions are a lot bigger and we will see a lot of support for the home team. I think it's amazing for a footballer to play in such conditions. It really tests you to the core. I am looking forward to playing in front of such huge crowds," Hitesh added.
"You need to have competition to improve" - Hyderabad midfielder Hitesh Sharma
Thangboi Singto, who took over from Manolo Marquez, has a lot of plans in place for Hyderabad FC. His philosophy, he maintains, is as simple as being a philosophy of winning.
Singto also feels that doing too much homework on a particular team can backfire as they can often merely turn up and surprise you. He said:
"There have been a lot of changes in our side but the new players have bonded well with the others in the squad. We can see it in the ground, in training, in the dining hall and also in the place we stay. Our philosophy is the philosophy to win matches. For a coach to adapt, it takes time."
"A lot is based on the type of players you have before instilling a style of play- whether it's possession or direct football or anything. In the last few months, a lot of hard work has been done by everyone. Recruitment has been done that way by the sporting director, Conor (Nestor, first team coach) and the analyst," Singto added.
Hitesh, nodding in approval at most of what his coach was saying up till now, was put on the spot when asked about the competition for places in the side. To his credit, he took it on bravely. He said:
"I think transition is always difficult but it is very good for an individual as you can improve a lot in this period. I feel like transitions are out of my control. The only thing in my control is to help the team as much as I can."
He added:
"Competition is good if you take it in a positive way as you improve a lot. We are not playing for just one year; we want to play for the next ten years, so you need to have competition to improve and keep challenging for the next 10 years."
Both Singto and Hitesh seem to be burning with the desire to take Hyderabad FC and the city it represents back to the top echelons of footballing glory.
They have a lot of people to prove wrong as well, especially those detractors of theirs who still believe that their title win in 2021-22 was an aberration. Team news comes at the end of the interaction, with Chinglensana Singh, Gurmeet Singh, and Abdul Rabeeh turning up for India at the Asian Games.
New faces will most likely be seen for Hyderabad, with world-class signing Oswaldo Alanis expected to line up in the heart of the Nawabs' defence. On the other hand, the ever-reliable Nim Dorjee Tamang, Mohammad Yasir, Joe Knowles, and Jonathan Moya will most probably be seen up top.
Thangboi Singto signs off, saying:
"As a team when we prepare for for a league like ISL we will always go for the highest. At the moment all I can say is that the team is working hard to get to the playoffs. Everyone is fit and it's a good opportunity for the other players to come up and stand in for those who have been called up for the national team."
