By Siddhartha Sharma
The two matches that Delhi drew with West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in the quarter-final phase have cost them heavy because their semi-finals birth is quite dicey now.
With Delhi set to play the last match of the quarter-final league phase against Mizoram, only a high score win against them can help them now to cruise through.
What it means for Delhi is that their lead striker Tuishim Mashangava has an added responsibility on his shoulders to convert the team’s half chances into match-winning results.
Unlike the last match, Delhi cannot afford to let loose their scoring chances this time. Having a goal count of five under his belt in this Trophy, Mashangava is ready to take on the challenge of spearheading the attack against Mizoram.
In a case of past coming to his fore again, it is interesting to note that Mashangava made it to the capital from Manipur, only last year, and now will be playing to save grace for his adopted state. Mashangava feels that his past experience of playing with some of the Mizo players, with whom he had played for local clubs, can prove crucial for his team to frame a good strategy.
“I used to play for Naroca club in Manipur and many players from Mizoram used to come and play the leagues there. So I know how their team thinking shapes up and we have worked hard to rub shoulders against them,” said Mashangava while talking to Sportline from Kolkata.
While the striker appreciates the Mizo defence, he thinks it can become a big deterrent to their chances of free scoring. Although Delhi’s attack has fired in the last couple of matches but he feels that speed will play an important role in penetrating their defence.
“Mizoram defence has always been good although they have conceded heavily in the last two matches against Bengal and Tamil Nadu. They play small passes which makes them look formidable. We cannot take them lightly as it is a do or die match for us,” he added.
Coach Ranjeet Thapa too has no doubts about his striker’s abilities. He said Mashangava has been playing to his expectations and has often scored goals for the team in crucial moments.
Thapa feels that if the youngster improves on his endurance and physical strength, he could be a player to watch out for in future. “He is a talented footballer with a lot of skills.
His control over the ball is good and we are hopeful he will score for us in the Mizoram tie,” added Thapa.
Team effort
Meanwhile, expressing his thoughts on the responsibility to score goals, Mashangava humbly added that football being a team sport is not a single player’s initiative, everybody needs to contribute their part.
He feels it was sheer teamwork which has lead to a decent performance so far in the Santosh Trophy. “I am not allowing any added pressure on myself when
I get ready to face Mizoram on Wednesday but I am confident that we will win this match,” said Mashangava.
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