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Hyderabad FC secured a spot in the Indian Super League semi-finals for the first time in their history, beating Kerala Blasters FC 2-1 on Thursday. Head coach Manolo Marquez admitted that he was elated after the result and there will be little celebration tonight.
Furthermore, the Spanish gaffer revealed that Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic visited the Hyderabad dressing room after the match and congratulated them.
"We are very happy. First of all, if you allow me, I want to dedicate this semi-final qualification to all the players and members of the staff. We couldn't qualify last season when we deserved it. The second thing is that people in Indian football should know that the coach of Kerala Blasters entered our room to congratulate our team for qualifying. This is the level of the coaches that Hero ISL needs personally," Manolo Marquez averred.
Meanwhile, the victory further consolidated Hyderabad FC's position at the top of the ISL table. The Nizams have amassed 35 points after 18 games. But with the qualification secured, how does the head coach manage to make sure the players don't lose focus? The Nizams gaffer replied:
"The first goal was to arrive in the top-four. Now, we have to play two games. We have to try to win both. If we win against Jamshedpur FC then we can surpass them but it will depend on ATK Mohun Bagan's match outcome."
He added:
"But now we are happy, we will celebrate tonight in the hotel. After this, we will think about the next game because if you are in this situation you have to keep going. Let's see if we can beat a very good team like Jamshedpur."
Click here to view the ISL winners list.
"The next games are three football games, nothing more than that" - Kerala Blaster FC boss after loss against Hyderabad FC
Meanwhile, the loss dampened Kerala Blasters FC's chances of making it into the top-four. After Bartholomew Ogbeche and Javier Siverio put Hyderabad FC ahead, Vincy Barretto pulled a goal back for the Tuskers. But his solo effort wasn't enough to restore parity.
The next few fixtures will be pivotal in deciding Kerala Blaster FC's future in the ISL. What does the head coach make of the upcoming fixtures? Ivan Vukomanovic said:
"First of all, I see the schedule and the fixtures and they are not correct because there are teams who play 18 games or 16 games and when you are approaching the end, with everything that has happened in the previous period, then we have the teams who already know the destiny and they are in a different state of mind than the other teams. For us, it's a football game. So, the next games are three football games, nothing more than that."
Kerala Blasters FC are currently fifth in the points table with 27 points from 17 games. The Tuskers return to action on Saturday when they take on Chennaiyin FC.
