Odisha FC assistant coach Anshul Katiyar was pleased with his team’s performance in the 2-0 win over NorthEast United FC in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) on Tuesday.

The new assistant coach who took charge of the team in the absence of interim head coach Kino Sanchez, praised the players for responding well to a tough week that saw many matches cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic and also saw the departure of head coach Kiko Sanchez.

Katiyar also expressed delight at seeing youngster Daniel Lalhlimpuia score in the Hero ISL after three years.

The assistant coach addressed the media after the match.

Here are the excerpts from the post-match press conference:

How was the experience after winning the match 2-0?

It was a good experience. When you win, it's always good and when you lose you learn something. Coming from a difficult situation, we were facing a few issues, and playing like this, I feel the boys did really well.

Any areas where the team could have been better?

It's a process and we have just started building this team and the process takes time. We are not just building a team for this year, so it's just a start. If we are finishing top of the league or let's say top four, we are going to provide a very strong base to the club.

Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored a Hero ISL goal after three years. A word on him?

I feel it's very important for an Indian striker to score. This opportunity (to play as No 9) always goes to a strong player and these players are coming from the bench and there are always expectations. And when they score it's excellent for them and their morale. It means a lot to the club as well as the club believes in giving more chances to the youth and we have a very good youth development program. So it's very good for Daniel and the other players.