I-League 2018-19: Minerva Punjab vs Churchill Brothers | Match Preview, Predictions, Live Streaming, Where to Watch

Paul Munster, Minerva Punjab coach (third from left) with Churchill Brothers manager Petre Gigiu (Image: AIFF Media)
Paul Munster, Minerva Punjab coach (third from left) with Churchill Brothers manager Petre
Gigiu
(Image: AIFF Media)

Defending Champions Minerva Punjab FC, begin their Hero I-League title defence with a home game against Goan giants Churchill Brothers Sports Club, on Sunday, October 28, 2018. The match is scheduled for a 2 pm afternoon kick-off at Panchkula’s Tau Devi Lal Stadium.

The ‘Warriors’ from Punjab have a 2-1 head to head advantage going into the game with the former two-time winners.

Both teams have new strategists at the helm in the form of Irishman Paul Munster for the Champions and Romanian Petre Gigiu for the Goans and with new look squads from last year, it will be interesting to see what impressions they form at the beginning of the season.

Technical Director and UEFA Pro-license holder coach Paul Munster is a 36-year old who played as striker successfully in Canada and comes to India after successful coaching stints in Sweden with youth teams.

It should hold them in good stead because Minerva is known for its good youth setup as well as for scouting and nurturing good young talent, in their brief but impressive history so far.


Minerva Punjab vs Churchill Brothers: Match Information

Date: October 28

Kickoff: 2 pm IST

Live Streaming: Star Sports 3, Hotstar and Jio TV

Venue: Tau Devi Lal Stadium


Minerva Punjab vs Churchill Brothers: Team News

Minerva’s squad for the 12th Hero I-League once again reflects that focus on youth. In a potentially exciting forward line 20-year old sensation from Kohima, Hitova Ayemi, may just be the surprise package this time around for them. He will have company in the duo of experienced forward CS Sabeeth, who is on a welcome return to form after scoring nine goals for Ozone FC in an impressive second division I-League campaign last year, and Ghanian strikeman William Opoku, whose five goals last year played a key part in Minerva’s title win.

Speaking of exciting young talent, the champions also have the likes of Nongdamba Naorem in their ranks, the former Arrows winger who scored one of the best goals ever seen in Indian football in the 11th Hero I-League edition last year.

Then there is the ambidextrous winger Makan Winkle Chothe who has made it up the Minerva ranks with virtuoso performances in their youth ranks, Delhi forward Dilliram Sanyasi as well as Souvik Das, a 23-year old playmaker from Bengal.

Deepak Devrani, Ashpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh will provide the Minerva defense with some continuity while Arshdeep Singh or Bhaskar Roy will likely man the Minerva goal post. Another quality addition to the champions squad this year will be Japanese forward Yu Kuboki, roped in from Sydney Olympic FC after being in imperious form for them last season.

For the Goans, coach Gigiu, who comes on the back of immense success in Algeria, will look no further than Gambian Dawda Cessay and Trinidadian Willis Deon Plaza to score bulk of the goals for his team. Churchill have also got back some players who have played for them previously and will be comfortable in the setup. Prominent among them will be midfielder Israel Gurung, who will be in his third stint at the club and forward Uttam Rai who comes back for a second stint.

Churchill’s defense should be led by Wayne and Lebanese Hussein Eldor while James Kithan should be a safehouse in goal. Burly Ugandan Khalid Aucho in midfield is the other prominent foreigner to look out for in the Churchill ranks.


Minerva Punjab vs Churchill Brothers Probable XI:

Minerva: Bhaskar Roy, Souvik Das, Amiable Nsabimana, Lancine Toure, Akashdeep Singh, William Asiedu, Amandeep singh, Philip Njoku, Dilliram, Yu Kuboki, Arashpreet Singh

Churchill: Bhutia, Gonsalves, Hussein, Vaz, Martins, Gurung, Dawda, Aucho, Costa, Izazola and Plaza.


Minerva Punjab vs Churchill Brothers Predictions:

Punjab are a strong side at home and they could bag the three points from the match.

Minerva Punjab 2-0 Churchill Brothers

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Edited by Aravind Suchindran