Jamshedpur FC

Jamshedpur, January 1: Jamshedpur FC U-18 will look to maintain their strong start in the Reliance Foundation Youth Development League Regional Qualifiers when they take on Bidhannagar Municipal Sports Academy at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Friday.

Coming off a commanding opening-day victory, the Young Men of Steel are aware that the challenge will be far sterner against a disciplined Bidhannagar side, who announced their intent in the tournament by defeating Sports Odisha in their opener. The Kolkata-based outfit is known for its organised structure and game management, and Jamshedpur are expecting a competitive contest despite playing at home.

Head coach Kaizad Ambapardiwalla stressed the importance of staying grounded and focused. “Bidhannagar are a good team and they showed their quality by winning their first match. For us, it’s about recovering well and sticking to our principles. We need to approach this game with the same intensity and discipline, irrespective of the opponent,” he said.

Jamshedpur’s attacking depth and fluid movement were on full display in their first outing, but Kaizad is keen to see his side handle tougher moments and make better decisions under pressure. With a compact schedule, squad rotation and mental sharpness will play a key role as the tournament progresses.

With two crucial points up for grabs in a tightly contested group where only the top two sides progress, Friday’s encounter promises to be an important test of Jamshedpur FC’s consistency and maturity as the regional qualifiers gather momentum.