I-League Qualifiers: FC Bengaluru United to take on debutants Madan Maharaj FC

Hometown club FC Bengaluru United will face off against I-League qualifiers debutants Madan Maharaj FC on Friday here at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

FC Bengaluru United (FCBU) will be playing their second match of the competition, after drawing their opening match 1-1 against Rajasthan United FC, while Madhya Pradesh based club Madan Maharaj FC (MMFC) will be opening their maiden I-League qualifiers campaign.

FC Bengaluru United was left ruing missed opportunities from their opening match, and head coach Richard Hood and captain Dharmaraj Ravanan expressed their intent to turn things around in Friday's encounter.

"The mood in the dressing room is that the result was not satisfactory in the last game. The focus for the next match is to secure a win, that's it. We played a good match last time around, and now we need to work on finishing off the chances we create and be more clinical going forward," the I-League website quoted Ravanan as saying.

Head coach Richard Hood pointed out what he wishes to see from his team on the pitch in the clash against MMFC. Hood said, "We need to be more consistent over the 90 minutes and not allow ourselves to drop our levels during phases of the game. We need to continue doing what we know works for us and give a better performance and aim to be more professional throughout."

On the other end of the fixture, Madan Maharaj will be playing their first match and begin their campaign with a fresh slate. The team aims to be the first team from Madhya Pradesh to become a part of the I-League.

"There is a good mix in the team of new, young and experienced players. The mood in the camp is upbeat as everyone is eager to step out and compete at this level. Even I am eager to get back out there, as I have been away from competition at this level for close to two years. So there is a lot of excitement for the match, which is a positive thing," said Madan Maharaj player Mehtab Hossain.

( With inputs from ANI )