The title will not be decided today - Sreenidi Deccan coach Carlos Vaz Pinto ahead of title-deciding clash with Mohammedan SC | I-League 2023-24

Sreenidi Deccan will host Mohammedan SC in a match in the I-League 2023-24 at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Billed as a title-deciding clash, this game will have a lot of eyes on it across the nation given that it features the top two ranked sides in the league.

Mohammedan are at the top of the I-League table now with 34 points to their name, whereas Sreenidi are close at second with 32 inside their kitty.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Sreenidi's head coach Carlos Vaz Pinto mentioned how the Black Panthers will not be easy opponents to play against.

"They were a challenging opponent who put a lot of numbers behind the ball but we overcame that and got the win (last season at home) which was the most important thing. We are not perfect so there is always room for improvement and we will keep striving for the same," said Pinto.

Pinto, however, played down all talk of this game potentially deciding the title.

"The league will not be decided (today), neither for Sreenidi Deccan nor for Mohammedan SC. Everyone was saying the league was done in December but it is a different story now," he added.

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"First, they were talking about Mohammedan SC and now they are talking about Gokulam Kerala" - Carlos Vaz Pinto

The Portuguese tactician knows that his team will have to put their best foot forward in order to come up on the right side at the end of the evening.

Mohammedan are known to sit deep, invite pressure and attack on the counter, while on the contrary, Sreenidi like to build possession and work through the wings.

The reverse fixture earlier this season was clouded by controversy after Mohammedan's Mirjalol Kasimov (8 matches) and Alexis Gomez (4 matches) were confirmed as suspended in the pre-match coordination meeting by the Match Commissioner.

However, the duo were somehow cleared at the last moment to play the game, with the former even netting a goal in the Black Panthers' 2-1 win over the Deccan Warriors.

"First, they were talking about Mohammedan SC and now they are talking about Gokulam Kerala. Here at Sreenidi Deccan, we are talking about the three points on offer tomorrow and our focus is on working hard to get them," said Pinto.