Jamshedpur FC

Sameehg Doutie arrived at Jamshedpur FC as a coveted acquisition following 2 successful seasons in the Indian Super League (ISL). The South African speedster came to India courtesy of ATK, who put his talents to effective use in their title-winning ISL 2015 season. His skills lie in the domain of the archetypal modern winger, one who likes to run at defenses and craft chances at goal with a swinging cross, or cut inside and take his chances against opposition defenders with some fluent dribbling.

These skills have brought him considerable acclaim from players and pundits alike over the course of his 3 seasons. Keen observers notice the unpredictable edge to his game, which makes him a terror for any fullback to come across in a one-on-one situation.

His performance in the league last season saw him reach the ISL 2016 semi-final, while also claiming the top assister spot in the ATK team. He brings experience, pace and his signature edge to a brand-new franchise in the league, while hoping to fulfil some personal goals during this stint. Deccan Herald spoke to the South African wingman earlier today. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

On Jamshedpur FC’s current run of form…

First, I think we didn’t have a bad start, we have 6 points. We know tomorrow is a very crucial game for us, because Bengaluru is on top of us, they have 12 points. We have to show up and we have to push and go out there and try to win the game, so we make the deficit to hopefully 3 points. They would be playing 7 games after that, we will also be looking forward to obviously go and win.

How difficult do you think tomorrow’s match will be?

Tomorrow is a tough encounter, we know they are a well-organized team with dangerous players.

On Bengaluru FC’s home record…

Yes, they are playing at home, but we did well playing away, and you just need to continue working hard. It’s still early, but we need to be up there among the best

On his expectations on joining Jamshedpur after 2 successful seasons with ATK…

I’m happy, the team is doing well and we’re all working hard. We have 6 points, we have a game in hand, like I said we can shorten the deficit to 3 points. We all realize the importance of this game and we’re all concentrating hard and hopefully in the end Jamshedpur will be successful. Our aim is to reach the semi final like every other team have been trying.

On his personal expectations after joining Jamshedpur FC…

It’s a new franchise, but it doesn’t matter much. At the start of the season, we set goals for ourselves when we came here. All the players committed to goals that they want to accomplish at the end of the season.

On his personal experiences in India…

For me it has been amazing, I’ve been here 2 seasons, my first season I made the Semi-final and won the league once. Individually, I won the winning pass of the league award last season. It has been a fantastic 3 years for me. But now, it’s not all about me. For me it’s about the Jamshedpur FC family, it’s about the team, so I need to forget about the past because that’s already history. Now it’s important for my teammates and my Jamshedpur family to make this season a success. It’s our first season, there’s a lot of challenges we’re facing, but we’re going to keep pushing and we’re going to be there.