Chennaiyin FC will expect the experienced Pritam Kotal to come good this season.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Friends will temporarily turn foes when Chennaiyin FC (CFC) head coach Clifford Miranda sets up his crew to defeat former employer Mumbai City FC (MCFC) in their Indian Super League (ISL) season-opener here on Thursday.
Miranda had served as an assistant to Mumbai City chief coach Petr Kratky last season before trading the light blue for a darker shade of that colour. But the 43-year-old is not paying much attention to the sub-plot and is committed to directing a blockbuster intro for CFC’s campaign.
“As a coach who has worked at different clubs, I have to play against my former teams at some point in time. It does not matter if it is our first, third, or fourth game. It is the same for me,” said Miranda, who will make his ISL debut as a permanent head coach, when asked if facing MCFC would make the occasion extra special.
Miranda & Co. have been toiling in recent weeks to get off the mark on their first take. A victory at the Mumbai Football Arena will be precious as CFC has an ignominious record of not having beaten Mumbai City since 2020. “I did not know that (stat). It does not make a difference as we have new players and coaches,” he said.
The former India international will have a leadership group of five members — Alberto Noguera, Pritam Kotal, Mohammed Ali Bemammer, Elsinho and Mandar Rao Dessai — to navigate the season ahead.
As for MCFC, its unit does not have the might it once had but has enough players who can become protagonists. It remains to be seen which team puts on a show.
Published – February 18, 2026 08:38 pm IST
