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Jamshedpur FC will continue the pursuit of its first silverware under Aidy Boothroyd when it takes on Bengaluru FC at the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode on Friday.
The Men on Steel have maintained a perfect win record in the tournament so far – the only side to do so – and will hope to seal a place in the final, unlike a disappointing Indian Super League (ISL) campaign.
“I’m very pleased with the group stages,” Aidy said in the pre-match press conference.
“But it’s finished now, and it means nothing. We’ve been working as hard as we could, scored 11 goals, pleased with our attacking play overall, I’ve enjoyed the tournament and looking forward to the next game.
Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, secured its spot with a loss for Sreenidi Deccan in the other group stage fixture.
The winner of the first edition of the tournament in 2018, BFC has had an impressive spell under head coach Simon Grayson, winning the Durand Cup last year and finishing as runner-up in the ISL 2022-23 final.
“Friday’s fixture is another tough test, but it’s also an opportunity for us to make a third final this season, which would be a fantastic achievement.
Having played in two finals, I know we have the experience of playing and winning in the big games and hopefully, that will prove to be positive at the sound of the final whistle on Friday night,” Grayson said.
For the Blues, Roy Krishna will lead the attack, with the striker having seven goals against JFC in all competitions, while Sunil Chhetri is expected to combine with him along the wings.
Boothroyd’s side will have forward Daniel Chima Chukwu back from suspension and is expected to go all guns blazing with Rafael Crivellaro in the midfield and Harry Sawyer (JFC’s highest goal scorer in the Super Cup) alongside the Nigerian.
Jamshedpur has not beaten Bengaluru for over two years, with the last win coming on February 25, 2021, and will look to change that stat in its hunt for silverware this season.
The semifinal pits the highest-scoring team against one that has conceded the joint-fewest goals in the tournament and promises to be an exciting battle.
When will the semifinal kick-off?
The semifinal will kick-off at 7 PM IST, Friday, April 21.
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