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Dempo Sports Club will seek to raise their game a few notches as they tackle Prayag United at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Tuesday.
Dempo are enjoying their stay at the top of the table again but assistant coach Mauricio Afonso believes they have to raise the bar against Prayag United, one of the trickiest team in the competition.
“It’s never easy playing a team like Prayag United. They are strong and are capable of springing a surprise. We are, however, confident about ourselves and know we will get the three points we are looking out for,” said Afonso.
Dempo will miss the services of defender Sameer Naik (double booking) but with Valeriano Rebello available for selection, there will not be a selection headache.
Upfront, Nigerian striker Koko Sakibo will once again be relegated to the bench despite strong showing in the last couple of matches as a second half substitute.
“Koko is an excellent choice for the later part of the game. Moreover, Joy Ferrao is hardworking and is doing the job appreciably. Joy will start alongside Ranty,” said the former India captain.
Prayag United had a great run at the start of the competition but several draws and an unexpected 1-3 loss against Mumbai FC in the last match have pegged them back. Coach Sanjoy Sen will seek a positive result against the former champions.
“It was unfortunate that we lost against Mumbai FC in the last game and we have to make amends now. Hopefully, we will be able to secure a win against Dempo.
“Dempo is a strong side. They have excellent players in all departments and a very good coach at the helm of affairs. But football is very unpredictable. The I-League itself has proved how results can go the wrong way. If Air India can defeat Dempo, so can we,” said Sen.
Dempo stays at the top of the table with 27 points from 12 matches, while Prayag have 18 points from 12 matches.
