Blue Colts Begin With Clash With Fateh Hyderabad FC In Rest Of India Zone Group-A

Bengaluru FC’s U18s begin their Y-League campaign with a Rest of India Zone Group-A clash against Fateh Hyderabad FC at the Bangalore Football Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Saturday at 2 pm. Head Coach for the U18s and Head of Youth Development John Kila said that though his side is grouped with the Hyderabad outfit and local side Ozone FC Bengaluru, his staff has been focusing on their own strengths.

“We know that we have strong opposition in Fateh Hyderabad and Ozone FC but we will be focusing on our own strengths. Only the top side in the group will progress so it’s important to maintain consistency throughout the tournament,” Kila said.

Faced with the prospect of playing four games in nine days, Kila maintained that his players are ready for the challenge.

“Four games in the space of nine days is a tough schedule even for a senior team. But our players are ready for this and as coaches we’ll look to rotate the squad to keep their fitness levels in check.”

Having promoted as many as seven players from his U16 side through to the U18s, Kila says that competition for places in his squad is higher now than when the academy was set up two months ago.

“We’ve had very little time to prepare for this tournament but some of the youngsters from the U16 squad have shown that they are very talented by making the squad for the U18s. They performed well with the U16s and we thought it right to promote them through to the next level.”