Jamshedpur FC Head Coach Steve Coppell addressed the media alongwith Sumeet Passi ahead of the pre-quarterfinal clash with Minerva Punjab FC in the Hero Super Cup. The Englishman is wary of the challenge the tournament posed having played and coached in some of the world’s most elite cup competitions in his career. He said, “We are taking tomorrow’s match very seriously. We want to go as further as we can in the tournament.
“When twenty professional teams are fighting against each other to prove themselves, it’s going to be fierce and intense. To provide an analogy, it is like Poker – you need a strong hand. If you don’t have a strong hand during the game, you don’t win.”
The gaffer had immense respect for the team from the north as he said, “We respect our opposition who have won the I-League. They have proved their mettle there. But this is a cup competition where anything can happen. That’s the magic of it. Every coach loves the do or die mentality of a cup competition.”
Jamshedpur FC forward Sumeet Passi was asked upon his fitness levels after a long injury spell, and he responded, “I was out for eleven months, but I am fit now. If I get a chance tomorrow, I will try to grab it with both hands.”
“Minerva is a good team,” said Passi. “It will surely be a difficult game, but everyone has come all the way here to win the competition. No team will be easy. We have to be at our best,” he continued.
Match Details
Jamshedpur FC vs Minerva Punjab FC
2nd April 2018 | 8 PM kick-off
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
LIVE on Star Sports 2/HD2 and Hotstar
