ISL 2023-24: Vukomanovic delighted after Kerala Blasters FC's win over Hyderabad FC before playoffs (WATCH)

Ivan Vukomanovic, the head coach of Kerala Blasters FC, expressed his contentment with the outcome following their victory against Hyderabad FC in the recent Indian Super League (ISL) clash. Despite recognizing the challenging nature of the match, Vukomanovic was pleased with his team's performance as they put an end to their five-game winless streak.

In what served as the final league fixture for both teams, with their positions in the table already decided, the battle for three points was primarily about pride and concluding the season on a positive note.

Kerala Blasters FC secured the win with goals from Mohammed Aimen, Daisuke Sakai, and Nihal Sudeesh, while Hyderabad FC's captain, Joao Victor, managed to score a late goal, albeit serving as a mere consolation for the hosts.

Despite the convincing victory for the Blasters, Vukomanovic acknowledged the difficulty of the game and praised the efforts of players from both sides.

“For us, this was one of the most difficult games of the season. It was one of the games where there was no result of importance for either side. When you see and think about what both teams have been going through this season.. This kind of game today was a tough one for both sides,” he said in the post-match press conference.  

He added: “For one side, Hyderabad FC, these young group of players deserve one medal for this season for what they have been going through with all the issues and problems. Being there present with enthusiasm and motivation, so big praise for them. Congratulations to them for this kind of season to stay motivated every game. On the other hand, I have to say big praise for our team because today again we had a couple of players playing the position which they are not used to playing. We are suffering with some issues, some cards that we didn’t want to take risk today.” 

“Again, the feeling of playing this last game where it was already decided (we would be heading).. We wanted to win, we wanted to get those points for us as an important positive, mental boost for the next week for the playoffs. It was kind of a weird feeling, not having that high motivation. But yet again, you have to be motivated and concentrated for everything. Today we managed to do that. It was a tough game, it was difficult against the young team of Hyderabad FC. Their young players have a promising, nice future. I’m happy with the result and three points.”

Aimen and Sudeesh, two promising talents from Kerala Blasters FC's youth academy, made their mark by scoring their debut goals in the ISL. This achievement mirrored the strategy seen in their previous match against NorthEast United FC, where Kerala Blasters FC leaned heavily on their young players by fielding them in the starting eleven once again against Hyderabad FC. This strategic move proved fruitful as the youthful squad delivered an impressive performance on the pitch.

Coach Vukomanovic couldn't hide his delight for Sudeesh and the other emerging talents who grasped the chance to exhibit their skills on the grand stage.

“Now it’s my third season at the club. Since season one we discovered a couple of young talents like Nihal, Vibin, Sachin, Azhar and Aimen. There are still a couple of youngsters. Tonight on the bench there was Aritra (Das). There are a couple of them also at home. That’s the future. That’s the part of football. If you don’t produce these kinds of players, very soon you will stay without players. If you want to stay alive with a limited budget, which some clubs have, they have to do that. It’s your asset for the future. Maybe you can sell some of them when they grow up, they become important players,” Vukomanovic expressed.

“Him (Sudeesh), Azhar, Aimen, Vibin, Sachin, all these youngsters who are growing up, you give them playing time. They have to pass through that period of youth and then come into the first eleven growing up. They have qualities to play in the ISL. So whenever we can, we are giving them that playing time. Sometimes in different positions because we want them to grow up faster and like that they will become better. It’s our asset. We have to continue working with him and not only him, but all of them a lot. Really hard, in order to get them better and get our club better,” he added.

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• Football
• ISL 2023
• ISL 2023-24
• Kerala Blasters FC
• Hyderabad FC