"Sanan is a top talent and he needs to keep working hard" - Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil after three wins in a row | Kalinga Super Cup 2024
Jamshedpur FC won their third game in a row in the group phase of the Kalinga Super Cup when they beat Shillong Lajong FC 2-0 at the Kalinga Stadium Pitch One on Saturday (January 20).
The Red Miners were kept at bay by Lajong for long periods of the first half and they could only break through in the dying stages when Mohammed Sanan found the back of the net.
Their second goal came from a Sanan assist as Semboi Haokip found the back of the net in the 74th minute. This virtually put the game to bed and destroyed any hopes that Lajong had of creating an upset.
Head coach Khalid Jamil was his usual recalcitrant self when he spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda after the game. He stressed how important this win was for his side and said:
"This was a good game for us. At the end, all that matters is that we have got the three points and are through to the semifinals. We need to concentrate more on the pockets in which we did not do well and move forward from there. Yes, they kept us at bay for most part of the first half, but our boys fought strongly to get this win. Full credit to them- I am very happy with this performance.
"All the youngsters have fared well in this tournament and I am very happy with them. Sanan is a top talent and he needs to keep working hard. He has shown what he can do, and we will expect more from him in the upcoming matches. He is a really talented boy and he needs to work hard to ensure that his performances keep going up from here."
Jamshedpur FC will play East Bengal in the semifinal of the Kalinga Super Cup
Jamshedpur FC have been one of the best sides in the Super Cup so far, and have thoroughly deserved to qualify for the semifinals. Beating sides such as NorthEast United and Kerala Blasters with a newly-appointed head coach is not an easy task but the Red Miners had done just that.
Jamil has worked his magic with the side and now his goal will be to win the semifinal against an East Bengal side who are fresh on the back of a confidence-boosting Kolkata derby win on Friday (January 19).
Jamshedpur will have to play out of their skins to beat Carles Cuadrat's East Bengal in a game that will be hotly contested and quite exciting to watch.