Photo courtesy: AIFF Media

On the field, together they are sheer magic; two exciting players, deadly exponents in the ‘Beautiful Game’. Off it, their humility strikes you, and at times as they speak, you wonder, how can a modern day street smart footballer, at times, be so shy.

You mention it to them and both Jeje Lalpekhlua and Jackichand Singh quips in unison: “Playing football is the easiest thing for us”.

“The coach has chosen the squad and he has done so with a reason. Yeah, there are big names in the Oman squad and they may be experienced. But we are there to execute our instructions,” Jeje echoes at a Media Interaction in the Garden City.

What he didn’t mention was that despite his age (24) he is almost a veteran in Indian football, having debuted for the Senior Team at the age of 19.

“A knee injury hurt me for some time. But I worked hard and am still working hard,” he reflects. “And it just cannot stop. Unless you work hard, you cannot improve.”

“It’s pertinent to have the right guidance,” he informs AIFF Media. “I’m lucky to be coached by someone like Stephen Constantine. His support is helping me come into my groove faster. I need to thank him for all the confidence he has shown in me. I need to pay him back.”

I-League maestro Jackichand Singh mentions about the “tough battle ahead”.

“It will be a very difficult match. But we are ready. It has been an eventful year for me and I aim to carry on the momentum,” he quipped.

“We are training very hard. The coach has set up specific responsibilities and we need to stick to it,” he told AIFF Media. “We will give our best on the field.”

The duo had a spring in their steps during the Team Building Exercise at the ASC Campus the other day. “It was unique for us,” Jacki said. “The sacrifices made by the Army inspired us.”

Jeje added, “It was a wonderful experience. We saw our Jawans doing it with ease. That motivated us and we completed the 21-barrier Course. We are well a big happy family.”

Jeje also urged the fans to come out in “numbers” for the match on June 11.

“The atmosphere on the last day of the I-League match was amazing. We need to recreate the atmosphere. Turn out in large numbers,” he urged.

(Report & Photo courtesy AIFF Media)