Des Buckingham, Head coach of Mumbai City FC.
| Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
Des Buckingham took a courageous choice. He didn’t identify a single foreigner in Mumbai City’s squad for the Super Cup.
Remember, it was the abroad players, reminiscent of Greg Stewart, Ahmed Jahou and Alberto Noguera, that had performed key roles in the crew’s victory towards Jamshedpur AFC Champions League qualifier, at Manjeri, only a few days earlier than the Super Cup kicked off. His boys didn’t let him down.
Mumbai might have didn’t qualify for the semifinals, however it tied for the high spot with NorthEast United and went out solely as a result of of an inferior head-to-head file.
The 38-year-old coach doesn’t imagine that profitable is all the pieces. “At the club, we have got different targets, one of which is to develop Indian players,” Buckingham informed The Hindu.
“I am happy with the last two years and the progress that has been made. We use this tournament to give players an opportunity to showcase what they can do. And this will help us both now and in the future.”
He can be delighted that Mumbai certified for the AFC for a second successive time. “It was a very special moment for all of us,” he stated. “This will only be the third time that an Indian club is going to the AFC League and we have been fortunate that we have taken up two of those opportunities.”
Mumbai had carried out nicely on its debut in the event. “We became the first Indian club to win a game at the Champion’s League level,” he stated. “The tournament allowed us to showcase what Indian football can do and Indian players certainly can do at that level.”
Buckingham, who helped New Zealand qualify for the Olympics and in addition loved success in Australia’s A-League, believes India has the potential to do nicely on the international stage.
“I see a lot of similarities between India and New Zealand (and A-League and the ISL),” he stated. “I have been here for two years, I have seen enough players and they are more than capable of competing and challenging their peers on the international stage.”
