NEW DELHI: Rajasthan United will host bottom-placed Sudeva Delhi in their I-League 2022-23 game at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, on Thursday.
The match will kick off at 4:30 pm IST.
Following their win against Sreenidi Deccan, Rajasthan United have now faced two back-to-back losses against Churchill Brother (0-5) and TRAU FC (1-2), and have subsequently moved into the bottom half of the table. The Ambedkar Stadium has not been much of a happy hunting ground for Rajasthan United in recent times, having logged only two victories in their last six matches at home.
The Desert Warriors picked up a comfortable 3-1 victory in their last match against Sudeva Delhi at the Chhattrasal Stadium. However, RUFC Head Coach Pushpender Kundu believes that that is in the past now as their opponents have improved now.
“That game is in the past now. They signed a couple of good players in January, and have fresh energy. I have seen their last few matches under their new coach, and they have been disciplined on the field, though somehow they could not get the desired results,” Kundu said as per a press release by I-League.
“My boys are taking them very seriously. It is an important game for us. If we win, our predicament on the table will also improve considerably,” added the coach.
Winter signings from Tajikistan and Argentina, Shavkati Khotam and Alexis Gomez, respectively, made Sudeva Delhi look much more of an attacking threat in recent games. Gomez, who made his debut against Churchill Brothers, was one of the best players on the pitch. However, the club from the capital still remains the only team in the league without a win.
“We have improved in our recent games, and are working harder to at least get a point in the game,” Sudeva Delhi head coach Sankarlal Chakraborty said.
With the league slowly moving into its final stages, the threat of relegation is becoming greater for Sudeva Delhi. Chakraborty sees the relegation battle as an opportunity to do something better for the club.
“I have played for Mohun Bagan, and coached there as well. Something that I have learnt is that unless there is a challenge in front of you, you do not work to turn a critical situation into a comfortable one. The enthusiasm will not be there,” Chakraborty said.
“When I took charge of the club, Sudeva was at zero, my approach has been to come here and do something better. And if we are able to perform better, not only will it make me happy, but it will also give a better future to the boys,” he added.
On their opponents, Chakraborty said, “I have been hearing about a number of Rajasthan United players leaving the club, which is why many think that they are not as good as they once were. However, I have seen them in their previous game and they have some top-quality players in their squad. It is going to be a tough game.”
The match between Rajasthan United and Sudeva Delhi will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports, and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT platform at 4:30 pm IST. (ANI)