ISL 2022-23: East Bengal eyes first points as it takes on a strong FC Goa

The two-time runner-up FC Goa would be eager to put the frustration of the previous season behind and start with a win under new Spanish coach Carlos Pena.

East Bengal is also in a rebuilding mode under its English coach in Stephen Constantine. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

East Bengal will be looking to steal at least a point from FC Goa when it makes its first outing at home in the Indian Super League (ISL), at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.

Former Indian coach and the current East Bengal gaffer, Stephen Constantine will be keen to get the points after a dismal performance against Kerala Blasters. , which it visited last Friday.

“We will get better every week. The players are working hard. I am very happy with the atmosphere in the team. We have six solid foreign players and a group of Indian players who have something to prove. Hopefully, we can grab the three points from FC Goa and move forward,” Constantine said on the eve of the match.

East Bengal, which had finished at the bottom of the table in the previous season, is hoping to better its performance under a new investor, Emami, and the new head coach in Constantine.

The two-time runner-up FC Goa would be eager to put the frustration of the previous season behind and start with a win under new Spanish coach Carlos Pena.

“It’s going to be a great challenge to play in front of a fully packed stadium, we’re trying to enjoy it, and it will be special for us. We would have loved to begin our campaign in front of our home fans, but the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata is also a good venue to kick-start things,” Pena said.

Unlike East Bengal, which is playing its third ISL season, FC Goa is a side that reached the playoffs six times out of eight editions in the League’s history. The team floundered last season and was forced to do an overhaul of the squad under the charge of Pena.

East Bengal is also in a rebuilding mode under its English coach in Constantine, who has requested the fans to have patience as he looks to bring stability in his team. “I would do everything I can to restore East Bengal’s pride. But I can’t do this in four-five weeks. It will take time. I want the fans to support us,” he said.

“If the fans are patient, I will give them what they deserve in the end. What I can promise is that I will work 48 hours a day to make things right but it takes time. If we are impatient and we want miracles to happen, then we will have a problem,” Constantine added.