Goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa feels the Mumbai City FC is a club that makes you better as a player. The 24-year-old from Sikkim played three matches for the club in the previous season whereas he represented the team in five games in the AFC Champions League.
The Islanders had a good run in the AFC Champions League as they won two matches. Meanwhile, the club is known to give opportunities to young players and get the best out of them.
“This is one of the top clubs in India. Every goalkeeper who comes here, irrespective of their numbers, is good at what they do. Every day we have to give our best in the training sessions and finally, only one can be chosen, based on the coach’s plan,” Phurba told Sportskeeda in an interview.
“We have to train well every day to earn our place. This is a club where goalkeepers can improve because they all push each other to bring out the very best they can. I am where I am today because of my colleagues and the coaches who kept me grounded and helped me develop as a player,” he added.
On the other hand, Mumbai City was at their best in the recently concluded Durand Cup, where they qualified for the final but they could not cross the final hurdle against Bengaluru FC as they lost by 1-2.
Lachenpa added that the players were able to get the crucial game time under their belt in the Durand Cup.
“It (Durand Cup) was a very good experience because we got to play a lot of matches as a team before the ISL. We’ve got to build relationships amongst ourselves and improve our fitness, all of which will come in handy in the ISL,” the Sikkim-born custodian said.
Meanwhile, the Islanders could not qualify for the semifinal stages in the previous season of the tournament. Mumbai City FC could only win nine matches in the 20 matches they played and they will be looking to turn the tables.
Mumbai City FC will begin their ISL campaign against the previous edition champions Hyderabad FC on October 9 at GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad.
