After his team’s lacklustre display in the MFL, the
high-profile coach mulls over whether he made the right decision
After his team’s lacklustre display in the MFL, the high-profile coach mulls over whether he made the right decision
MUMBAI: “Now I wonder if I did the right thing by agreeing to coach BMFC.”
That was an exasperated Chima Okorie after Bengal Mumbai Football Club’s (BMFC) “embarrassing performance” in the Mahindra Mumbai Football League (MFL) Elite division match on Sunday.
That his team was held to a goalless draw by Mumbai United wasn’t what peeved the Nigerian — a feared and prolific striker during his time — but the soulless display by the players.
“When we are training, it is all heart and hundred percent commitment. But if that doesn’t translate on the pitch, I think I am wasting my time. I am so embarrassed by the way my team played,” said
Okorie. “I have to think hard about continuing because I can’t work with a bunch that doesn’t give me enough passion and will.”
Okorie wasn’t wrong. BMFC never looked like the side that held Air India to a draw in their first match of the league. Mumbai United deserved more than a point for their spirited effort throughout the length of the game.
Raza Rizvi and Satish Singh Kheer, the look-alike strike duo of the Reds, teased the BMFC defense with their pacy runs and nimble footwork but were unfortunate not to find the back of the net. Kheer should have had a goal to his name, when in the 53rd minute he got past the goalkeeper only to hit the post after leaving the BMFC defence flummoxed with some deft touches and a quick sprint.
“We lack accuracy in front of goal and that’s proving costly. But I can’t blame the boys much. We train on the beach with out any goalposts as we don’t have a ground,” said P Shetty, coach, Mumbai United. “That’s why the boys are not hitting the target often enough. But we are working hard to improve.”
Meanwhile, with the appointment of Okorie, BMFC — an average side — have suddenly found themselves in the spotlight. Suddenly, from no-hopers, they are expected to perform miracles.
The next couple of games could be very crucial for BMFC not only in terms of keeping alive their chances in the competition but for holding on to their high-profile coach. Didn’t someone say fairytales are only for books.
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