"Our hard work earned us a place in the Championship stage of I-League" - Ben Quansah talks about how Neroca FC turned their season around

Ben Quansah is one of the strongest defenders in the I-League. His performance grabbed the attention of several fans and pundits.

He helped Neroca achieve a place in the championship stage. He has immense experience playing for top division clubs in Ghana and Kosovo. Starting his career at Dreams FC, he went on to play for FC Prishtina, KF Flamurtari, and Liberty.

A few days ago, Sportskeeda had an exclusive chat with the player. He first spoke about his coach, Khogen Singh.

Singh is one of the best tacticians in the country. He has already won the title once with Minerva Punjab FC. He was appointed as the coach of Neroca FC last season.

According to Ben Quanshah, Khogen Singh's supportive nature helped the club tide over bad times. He always used to motivate the players and help them improve their game.

" It was a very good experience playing under Khogen Singh. He was very much supportive and was dedicated to his job from day 1. He understands the target of the club and lead us through tough and bad times till the end of the season."

The I League is famous for its competitive nature. In the past, there have been many surprise winners in the league like Aizawl FC, Minerva Punjab FC and Chennai City FC.

This season was a roller coaster ride. The new entrants Rajasthan United stunned everyone when they finished in sixth position in their first season. When asked about this, Ben commented that it is harder to grab points in the I-League due to the competitive levels of the league. He also said that the I-League is getting harder every year due to the inclusion of better quality footballers.

" The league this season was very much tough and competitive. It is getting tougher every season. This season it was really a competitive one. No game was easy. You need to work very hard to earn points."

Story of Neroca's journey from relegation zone to championship zone in I-League 2021-22

Neroca FC started their season on a brilliant note but lost their path midway through. Juan Mera's injury and a couple of poor performances left them languishing in the relegation zone. But here the team showed their true character.

They turned the table in their favour and eventually reached the championship zone. They finished the season at the 7th position. When asked about this, Ben attributed it to the teamwork done by every player. They thought game by game and tried to give their best on the field.

"It was all about teamwork, dedication and mentality. We thought game by game. Many people didn't expect us here but our hard work ensured us a place in the championship stage. We deserved it as most of our players gave their best on the field."

Ghana National team is known as one of the giant killers in the FIFA World Cup. They have a good record of causing upsets in previous World Cups. Ben Quansah played in Ghana's top division for many years. He is very much familiar with the current national team squad. He is expecting them to play well in the World Cup and reach knockouts.

"I think Ghana will do well in the World Cup. It has been a trademark of the team performing well in the tournament. I have seen the current team play and I have no doubt they will perform good and will make us proud."

The I-League is the home of several Indian strikers. Players like Alocious M, Suvo Paul, Harmanpreet Singh, and Vidyasagar Singh came to prominence after their excellent performances in the I-League.

Ben Quansah successfully blocked several such players. He commented that blocking Robin Singh was the most difficult task. His physicality and aggressiveness created a lot of problems in the defense.

" Robin Singh from Roundglass Punjab FC was the most difficult one to handle. He is quite big and very much aggressive. But it was a good experience of playing against such a big striker like him."