Kerala Blasters FC playmaker and captain Penn Orji hopes his team will right its wrongs, fight back and come good in the matches coming up next after the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned franchise lost both its matches to start their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign on a sorry note.
Speaking to IBNLive Sports over phone before the Atletico de Kolkata match, Orji admitted they will be tested against the rampaging Kolkata team. "Kolkata have probably been the standout team so far and we want to be up there testing ourselves against them."
"We have been a bit unlucky in the previous matches. Though loss is a loss, if we would have not been complacent against those teams, we could have bagged full points against them. We need to hit the ground from word go in the upcoming matches. It would be an away game [in Kolkata] once again but the team and the coaches are ready for it", he said.
The 23-year-old Nigerian, who has experience of Indian conditions having played for JCT and East Bengal in the I-League, hailed the influence of assistant coach Trevor Morgan on the team.
"I have played under him (Morgan) during my stint at East Bengal and he is an exceptional coach. He knows how to keep the team together and I am really close to him. He looks after all the players and is ready to give solution if anyone approaches him with a problem.
"Without him, I would never have been so successful in Indian football. He is just like a father figure to me and I owe him every success that I have achieved so far in football," Orji addded.
Kerala lost to NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyan FC in their first two matches, but will probable face their toughest test yet against Atletico de Kolkata on Sunday in another away match.
They are yet to play a home match this season.
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