“We Want To Compete For All The Silverware” – MadihTalal

The 133^rd IndianOil Durand Cup has reached the knock-out stage and in the second quarter-final, Emami East Bengal will face the challenge of an energetic Shillong Lajong FC in the latter’s home turf. East Bengal finished their group stage in second with 7 points and qualified as one of the two best second placed teams.

Emami East Bengal FC, in the summer, have made quite a few additions to their side and one of them being Frenchman Madih Talal. The midfielder joined the side having equalized the record for highest number of assists in an ISL season with 10 assists to his name. The Frenchman has so far been able to prove his worth by winning the Player of the Match awards in their opening two encounters of the Durand Cup. 

Emami East Bengal’s Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat played a crucial role in bringing the midfielder to the club. Speaking about his initial days under the Spaniard, Talal said, “Coach Carles was influential in my decision to join Emami East Bengal and so far I have enjoyed working with him in the last month or so. As a coach, he has clear, defined roles and instructions for each player and that makes it very easy for us to execute his gameplay.”

Talal then went on to shed light on the Durand Cup being the official kick-starter of the Indian Football season and said, “It’s really helpful to have a historic tournament like Durand Cup in the beginning of the season as it helps us prepare well for the long season ahead. Especially for a team like us, we want to compete for all the silverware and at the same time, the tournament gives us the competitive minutes that we need to be ready for the ISL as well as for AFC.”

“Last season, I had watched the tournament in Kolkata but I didn’t feature. This is my first time playing in the Durand Cup and I have enjoyed it so far with my teammates. As a team, we are improving each day and we will try to better last year’s performance,” he further added.

Emami East Bengal came close to winning the title last season but lost out to city Rivals Mohun Bagan SG in the final. Speaking about their quarter-final opponent, the midfielder said, “Lajong have a very young, agile, and well organized side. They have displayed good football in their previous matches and they will definitely present a good challenge for us especially with the home support. We are ready for the challenge and we hope to secure the win today and move forward in the competition.”

On the other hand, Emami East Bengal’s Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat spoke about the crucial encounter and said“We are ready for the match. It has been a long trip from Kolkata to Shillong, but we’ve had enough time to rest and train in Shillong. We are looking forward to the support from the traveling fans.”