This story is from January 18, 2019

I-League: Chennai City FC taking nothing for granted against Aizawl

After completing a euphoric win over East Bengal on Monday to take a firm step towards the I-League title, it would have been understandable if the Chennai City FC (CCFC) players wanted to soak in the moment and revel in it for a few days. However, coach Akbar Nawas has not allowed any such luxury to the players.
I-League: Chennai City FC taking nothing for granted against Aizawl
CHENNAI: After completing a euphoric win over East Bengal on Monday to take a firm step towards the I-League title, it would have been understandable if the Chennai City FC (CCFC) players wanted to soak in the moment and revel in it for a few days. However, coach Akbar Nawas has not allowed any such luxury to the players. If they slip up against Aizawl on Friday, all the good work they had done to topple East Bengal four days back could go “down the drain”.
“If we think it will be easy and get complacent against Aizawl, it is the most dangerous thing.
The effort we put in during the last game will all go down the drain. We have to give due respect to our opponents. I told the boys immediately after the EB victory to keep their feet on the ground. The most important thing now is to forget our victory against EB, even though it was only a few days back,” Nawas cautioned during the pre-match press conference in Coimbatore on Thursday.
While CCFC will be guarding against complacency, Aizawl can perhaps throw caution to the wind given their current predicament. They are second from bottom and getting accustomed to the ways of Stanley Rozario, who replaced Gift Raikhan as coach for the remainder of the season.
“There is always a danger of complacency,” Nawas stressed again. “Aizawl have a new coach. They will want to start something positive under him. A team that has something to prove and nothing to lose is always a dangerous one.”
On the injury front, CCFC don’t have too many concerns. While they have to make one forced change from their last game against East Bengal with defensive midfielder Sri Ram suffering an injury, the Spanish and Indian players that make up the core of the team are fit and firing.
In such a scenario, Aizawl, of course, have their task cut out. With Rozario is still figuring out his players and the tactics he can employ, he is hoping that they can merely take some positives on their way back home.
“I want to take something positive from this match. It will help my boys get confidence and hopefully we can climb up the table. This is a big challenge for me. But I trust the local boys. I know their talent and capability. Tomorrow, they are going to give a good fight against CCFC,” the former Indian assistant coach hoped.
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