Guwahati: The head coach of NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) Vincenzo Annese was ecstatic after his club eventually prevailed in its opening game in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022–23.
The Highlanders defeated ATK Mohun Bagan 1-0 on Saturday at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati to win their first points of the year.
On a night when NorthEast United FC held a clean sheet Wilmar Jordan’s goal set the teams apart.
The 38-year-old was visibly moved when he spoke at the official post-game press conference, thanking everyone at the club for their contributions to the team’s first-ever point total.
“I am a winner and I want my players to be winners, step by step we will improve,” he said after the game. We will need to improve in the defensive phase and attacking transitions, and step by step, we will do better and better,” remarked an emotional Annese as quoted by the ISL website.
The coach claimed to be familiar with the opposition because Gokulam Kerala had defeated them in the AFC Cup.
“I was afraid about the opponent changing their approach coming into the second half, but I knew they would consider it while in the attacking transitions, and they created a lot of space. We had to be more crucial in attack, but I believed in the team and myself the whole time,” added the head coach.
The Italian emphasised how the side’s pressuring, particularly that of Jordan (the goal scorer) assisted them during attacking transitions when the opposition abandoned space and enabled the home team to create scoring possibilities.
He never lost hope in the group or in himself but he noted that it was time to consider the upcoming matchup with Hyderabad FC a squad he has never played against.
After a crucial victory, the head coach describes this game as an exciting opportunity.
“When you work hard and are serious about the job, everybody believes and follows your instructions, and we need to thank the staff as well for keeping players injury free as it is important and gives us a platform for the future,” added Annese.
After a string of league losses—10 to be exact—Annese did not forget to recognise the efforts made by his staff to keep the players in shape and create the groundwork for the season’s second half. He was also pleased to see that everyone respected his efforts and hard work, which was one of the many reasons he earned all three points in Game 11 of the most recent ISL season.
“I like the market and I like that it is opening soon, but I am okay to continue with these players. For me it does not matter if we play at home or away and I hope the boys come good for the next game, also hope that the supporters believe in these players but I need to take rest and think about Hyderabad FC and we have our strategies planned and want to go there to enjoy the game” concluded a happy Vincenzo Annese.
The Highlanders’ next game is against Hyderabad FC, where they will want to build on their season-opening victory.