Two-time former champions Pune FC are all set for the 2014-15 edition of the Under-19 I-League. Having played a few top-flight all-India Open tournaments in their build-up, the squad go into the campaign as a confident group.

As the team gears up to face arch-rivals Mumbai FC in the opener at home (Saturday, 13th December), the Pune FC Media Team caught up with coach Naushad Moosa for his views.

INTERVIEW

How is the team shaping up ahead of the Under-19 I-League?
We have worked ourselves into being a cohesive unit. It’s taken time and hard work, and as of date, I can vouch that the team is looking much better. We have been working really hard for the past six months and we can see it in the positive body language of the youngsters. At Peninsula Pune FC Academy, we believe in youth development; and keeping that in mind, we have included few of the Under-17 players in the squad as well. There are few quality players who can definitely make it to Under-19 team line-up.

How do you evaluate the team’s performance in the tournaments we played since the start of the season?
Since the start of the season, we have played four all-India tournaments in and outside Pune. In all these competitions, we came up against stronger and bigger opponents. As a Coach, it helped analyse our weaknesses and strengths which helps us evaluate and be prepared ahead of our important assignment – the Under-19 I-League.

In the previous edition of the U19 I-League, we fell just short of qualification to the final round. Your thoughts on that…
Going into the tournament last year as two-time defending champions, the new batch of academy cadets had pressure to perform. Even though we gave our best on the field, it was that one away loss to AIFF Regional Academy, that made all the difference.

What has been your message to the players as we approach the competition?
I have been trying to keep the players more relaxed mentally by not giving them unnecessary pressure. They (the players) very well know how important this competition is for the whole team. All players have been working hard and we do have a few injuries, but it should be okay before our first match. Our focus is on playing quality football and we want to get positive results. While we hope for a better performance in the zonal round, our immediate aim is to first qualify for the final stage.