Jeje Lalpekhlua has fond memories of playing at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here. In 2015, Lalpekhlua was part of the Mohun Bagan side which netted a late, dramatic equaliser in the season-ending fixture to claim the I-League title by two points.
The draw crushed Bengaluru FC’s dream of becoming the national champion. The striker now hopes to recreate those magical moments for Chennaiyin FC on Saturday.
“I still remember that day — getting the draw against BFC, and lifting the I-League trophy. I hope it happens again tomorrow. I want to score a goal,” Lalpekhlua said, at a press conference here on Friday.
The striker stated that BFC is under pressure. “I love playing in front of packed stadiums. I hope we get a big crowd for the final. There is no pressure on us at all. The pressure is on BFC, as they are playing in front of their home fans,” Lalpekhlua said.
The visitor’s head coach, John Gregory, stated that his side could win the ISL trophy if they manage to shut down the prolific Bengaluru FC strike force of Miku and Sunil Chhetri.
“Chhetri scored all three of his team’s goals in the semifinal. He has had an outstanding season. Chhetri and Miku are the major players for BFC. If we can keep these two quiet, we have a chance to win. However, I know it will be a hard task,” Gregory said.
Gregory mentioned that his team has come a long way since he took charge at the start of the season. “I remember, in October last year, the entire team sat together in a room at the Hyatt Regency (Chennai). We introduced ourselves to everyone. Even some of the Indian boys didn’t know each other well.
“In that respect, Bengaluru FC has had a head start as they had started their AFC Cup campaign well ahead of the ISL teams. But I think we have caught up with them,” Gregory said.
The confident Englishman added, “We have the utmost respect for BFC, but we are Chennaiyin FC. We are not scared of anyone.”
