AFTER A DISAPPOINTING Mizoram Premier League campaign where they lost to eventual champions Chanmari FC in the semi-finals, Aizawl FC are re-thinking their approach to the upcoming I-League season.
The popular club from the Mizoram capital, who wowed everyone last season by reaching the Federation Cup final and had their relegation from I-League scrapped, are yet to announce their new head coach, less than 3 weeks before the start of the league. The club, who was coached by Jahar Das last season after parting ways with Spanish coach Manuel Retamero Fraile midway through I-League, plyed its MPL campaign under longtime assistant coach Mala. But rumours suggest that the club will appoint a foreigner as their head coach for the I-League.
In the meantime, two of their foreign players - Ghanaian striker Bright Middleton Mends and Nigerian midfielder Benjamin Eniwo Onome - have left the club today. Club sources confired to TFG that the two players have departed. When asked why he was leaving the club, Bright, who previously played for New Edubiase United in Ghana, said,
"I have offers from some good clubs overseas. I know I-League is the biggest league in India but it's not there are bigger platforms to play football. I have enjoyed my time here but now I want to play elsewhere."
With the club set to host East Bengal for its first I-League match of the season on 7th January, the time to get new players, and a coach, into the club and begin their season is fairly limited for them. There's a good chance that Aizawl FC will pick up some players from other clubs in the local league - especially Chanmari FC - to bolster their squad in the I-League.