Chennaiyin FC head coach Bozidar Bandovic has backed his players to come good in the opening match of the New Year when they take on Jamshedpur FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) game at the Athletic Stadium here on Sunday.
Chennaiyin, the two-time ISL champions, are currently placed sixth on the points table with three wins from eight games. Despite unfavourable results in their recent outings, the 52-year-old Bandovic backed his players, saying they will make a comeback.
"We have a target and every player is working to achieve that and you can't be disappointed with one or two losses. You need to be mentally very strong to succeed. I know the players will fight back and we will come out tomorrow and give our best. This is the only way I believe in and play as a team. This is the way we need to keep going," Bandovic said on Saturday.
The two sides have played each other eight times in the ISL with Chennaiyin winning three and Jamshedpur two.
"It's (Jamshedpur) a good team, they know exactly what they are doing. They have strong players who can take set pieces. We need to be prepared for it, we need to win duels; we need to win the second ball. This gives you more opportunities to win the game. The coach (Owen Coyle) has been here for years and he knows the league and the players, so they're a good team with good individuals," Bandovic added.
Chennaiyin have announced the signing of Nerijus Valskis, the Lithuanian forward who is returning to the club on a free transfer. He will provide a much-needed boost to CFC's attack.
"He is a good player and has got that character. We needed someone like Valskis to score the goals. The whole first-half of the season we played with just five foreigners. At this moment he was the best choice for us as he knows the team and has been part of the league's bio bubble which was an added advantage," Bandovic said.
Valskis had a great maiden ISL outing with Chennaiyin when they finished runners-up in 2019/20. "I am very excited and very happy to be back home and wear the blue shirt again," said Valskis, who won Golden Boot during his last ISL season with CFC, scoring 15 goals.
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