Karim Bencherifa is a popular name in the Indian football scenario. Despite being from Morocco he knows Indian football like the back of his palm, courtesy his stints with many I-League clubs.

As Pune FC go strong in the ongoing Hero I-League, AIFF Media caught with Bencherifa to know about his squad, ambitions, nurturing talent, vision and much more.

INTERVIEW

Pune FC have been tagged as ‘underdogs’. Is it a boon or a bane?
It is really not important how we are tagged – be it underdogs or favourites. The most important need is to keep doing the right things, compete and perform in each match in the best possible way that we can.

What is your take on Darko Nikac? So far he has been sensational. Do you think that he will go on to be the best foreigner recruit to play in I-League?
We monitored Darko for quite some time before signing him. And so I am not surprised he is doing well. It is still long way to go. He is young and has quality; we are also doing our best to guide him as it is a new environment for him.

How do you rate the ‘sensational’ Haokip?
Haokip is doing well so far, but still a lot of work is needed to be done. He has a long way to go. Players need to be consistent and learn and work hard every day in training and also leave a mark in every match.

Pune FC stay in the top half of the Hero I-League table at the moment. How do you plan to sustain it?
Despite the narrow 0-1 away loss to Mohun Bagan, we are still at the top-half. But these are early days in Hero I-League. There are still many matches to be played and the Hero I-League table will surely witness twist and turns. All teams are competitive and matches can go either way. We did a lot of work during our pre-season as we tried to improve all aspects of our game.

Do you believe in nurturing talent which would be best suited for Pune FC?
I always felt Pune FC is a club that suits my vision and philosophy. It is based on hard-work, fairness and professionalism. And yes, I do believe in talented hard working youths.

What is Pune FC’s biggest strength?
We have a good level of fitness overall and that’s complemented by the quality players who we have in our ranks. But our biggest strength is unity and team spirit.

(Interview courtesy AIFF Media)