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FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez heaped praise on the 25-year-old winger Mohammad Yasir. The commentw came after Yasir produced a Player of the Match winning performance in the 1-1 away draw against Mumbai City FC on Wednesday.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after the stalemate at the Mumbai Football Arena, Manolo said:
"One very good news for us is the Player of the Match, (Mohammad) Yasir, and we are recovering the best from (Mohammad) Yasir, who played with the national team. It's not just about scoring two goals in the last two games, but he is demonstrating his quality after overcoming difficult times with Hyderabad FC. For me, maybe he is the best left-footer in the country (right now)."
The Gaurs entered this match anticipating their return to winning ways having suffered defeats in their previous three encounters - against Kerala Blasters FC, NorthEast United FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The defeats came after being unbeaten in the first 12 matches of this ISL season.
"We needed to play like FC Goa, like we played in the first half of the season" - Manolo Marquez
While Vikram Partap Singh opened the scoring for the Islanders in the 46th minute of the game, Manipur-based Mohammad Yasir, who scored in FC Goa's 4-2 loss against the Men in Yellow in Kochi once again found the back of the net sixteen minutes later to equalize the scoreline for the visitors.
Expressing his thoughts about the game, the immensely experienced gaffer who stated that his team deserved three points opened up by saying,
"We are not completely satisfied in terms of points but satisfied with how the team played, especially in the second half. After facing three consecutive defeats, we needed to play like FC Goa, like we played in the first half of the season. I feel we deserved to win (this game) because we hit the post thrice. Even in the first half, Mumbai City FC had more ball possession, yet they didn’t create a lot of chances despite having lots of players who could have scored goals."
Speaking highly about the fighting spirit of midfielder Borja Herrera who almost came close to scoring the winner against Mumbai City FC despite being injured and coming in as a substitute in the 83rd minute, the Spaniard further added,
"In the last match (against Kerala Blasters FC), Borja Herrera suffered an injury and left the pitch. He was not ready to play for 90 minutes (today). He entered in the last few minutes. The doctors and the physios even said he couldn’t play. But we know his shooting quality outside of the box is very good. And he was very close to scoring the (winning) goal."
FC Goa are currently placed fourth in the ongoing 2023-24 ISL points table with 29 points from 16 matches, thereby trailing league leaders Odisha FC by three points. If they want to repeat their 2019-20 season's heroics by clinching the League Winners' Shield title, Manolo Marquez's men need to bag as many points as possible in the remaining six matches.
