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Gokulam Kerala FC's (GKFC) women's team is currently playing in the ongoing edition of the Indian Women's League under the guidance of head coach Anthony Andrews. He notably guided the team to the IWL trophy last season with 11 wins from 11 matches.
Andrews will once again look to win the IWL trophy with Gokulam Kerala FC. The Kerala-based club have started the season as clear favorites. They are on a roll, having won three games and drawn one thus far in the ongoing edition of the IWL.
During a media intercation, he confirmed that GKFC will play a similar formation to the previous season. He believes this allows them to have a rock-solid defense and also play with their best attacking players.
"This formation allows us to have a solid defence while still being able to attack with pace and skill. We have a lot of talented attacking players, and this formation will allow us to maximize their potential," he said.
Sportskeeda caught up with Anthony Andrews for an exclusive interview. Here are the excerpts:
GKFC finished atop the points table with 11 wins from 11 matches last season. Can you take us through everything that happened in the dressing room after winning the trophy? Also, can you tell us about the team's confidence after winning 11/11 games last season?
Winning the trophy was a fantastic achievement for our team. There was a lot of excitement and celebration in the dressing room after the [final] game. We congratulated each other on a job well done and enjoyed the moment together as a team.
Last year’s performance has been extraordinary but that doesn’t carry forward this year. This is a new team. However, the team’s confidence is always high here because we want to win everything. Everyone in the club expects the team to achieve and the players and the staffs here know that.
How was the atmosphere in the club before the final fixture vs Sethu FC last season as it was a decider?
There was a lot of excitement and anticipation before the final fixture against Sethu FC. We knew that it was a critical game, and we were determined to give it our all. The atmosphere in the club was positive and focused, and we were all looking forward to the challenge.
Which was your favourite match from the previous season?
As a coach, it's difficult to pick just one favourite match. Every game has its unique challenges and I'd pick every match we played as my favourite for different reasons in each game.
GKFC also won the Kerala Women's League 2021-22 and were runners-up this season. Do you think not winning the trophy will impact the player's morale?
While we always aim to win every tournament we enter, we understand that it's not always possible. Our focus is on playing our best football and competing to the best of our ability. Our players are professionals, and they understand that winning and losing are part of the game.
We will use any setbacks as motivation to work harder and improve for the future.
How are the team's preparations for IWL 2023 going?
The preparations for IWL 2023 are going well. The team is focused and working hard to ensure we are in the best possible shape for the upcoming season. We are looking forward to competing at the highest level and are confident in our ability to perform well.
Can you please tell us about your overseas signings for the IWL 2023 & the kind of role they'll be playing this season?
We have made some exciting overseas signings this season who have been a part of our KWL season already. They bring a wealth of experience and skill to the team, and we are excited to see how they perform in the IWL.
Their roles in the team will be very impactful, and we hope to score a lot of goals with the kind of players we have up front.
You have a mix of youngsters and experienced Indian players in your squad. How important is it to have national team players in the squad?
Having national team players in the squad is crucial, as it brings a level of experience and leadership to the team. Our younger players can learn a lot from their more experienced counterparts, and having a mix of both allows us to create a balanced team.
The GKFC squad seems to have a solid attacking unit. Is that going to be a headache as you might not be able to play all of them?
We have a lot of talented players in our attacking unit, which is a great problem to have. It will be a challenge to select the starting lineup for each game, but having depth in our squad will help us to adapt to different situations and keep the pressure on our opponents.
GKFC's biggest win margin last season was 12-0 against Odisha Police. Tell us about the game and do you think a higher record can be set this season?
We didn’t go out to set the record for the highest number of goals, we just focused on playing our game. It will be the same this year.
The opponent teams have a strong squad this season, and we can’t go into the game thinking of breaking the previous records. While the records are a good thing, our focus will always be winning the game regardless.
You'll be without the services of last season's top two goal scorers, Elshaddai Acheampong & Manisha Kalyan. Will that have a huge impact on the team?
Elshaddai and Manisha were key players last season scoring a lot of goals for us, and they’re showing their quality now in Europe.
However, we have got great replacements for them in Sabitra [Bhandari], Vivian [Adjei], and Sandhiya [Ranganathan]. Players like Asha and Indumathi [Kathiresan] can make a difference this season.
After all, it’s a team game. So I would like everyone in the squad to give their best for this season.
