Vaz Pinto And Purushothaman Target Improvements As Both Sides Look To Build Early-Season Momentum
Pune: Inter Kashi FC and Odisha FC will look to get their MG Indian Super League 2026-27 campaigns up and running when they meet at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune on Saturday. Both sides suffered defeats in their opening fixtures, with Inter Kashi going down 2-0 to Kerala Blasters FC, while Odisha FC were edged out 2-1 by Punjab FC.
Inter Kashi showed glimpses of their attacking threat against Blasters, with Rosenberg Gabriel and Manvir Singh doing most things right in the attacking third. However, Vibin Mohanan’s 18th-minute strike put the visitors ahead before Andre Green sealed the result in stoppage time. Carlos Vaz Pinto’s side will look to turn those promising moments into goals as they target their first points of the season.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged the quality in Odisha’s squad and believes his team are ready to compete, despite having had limited time together. “We are ready to compete and we are targeting three points,” Vaz Pinto said, emphasising the progress his players have made in absorbing his ideas across offensive and defensive phases.
Hitesh Sharma, who previously represented Odisha, will also be looking to settle into his new role at Inter Kashi. The midfielder spoke about adapting to a progressive ‘9.5’ position on the pitch. “This 9.5 position… I have had it for the first time, but I think I am learning and quite enjoying it,” Sharma reflected.
Odisha FC, meanwhile, will be eager to put their opening-day disappointment behind them. TG Purushothaman’s side conceded inside the first minute against Punjab FC but responded through Thoiba Moirangthem’s 15th-minute header from a corner. The Juggernauts remained in contention for much of the contest before Raphaël Messi Bouli struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to hand Punjab a 2-1 victory.
Purushothaman has set his sights on a stronger campaign, declaring, “We have to fight for the top spot and not like last year.” The coach acknowledged his new-look squad will need time to build chemistry, estimating it could take two to three matches for the players to fully gel.
Both teams will be keen to make an early statement. Inter Kashi will look to build on their attacking promise, while Odisha will aim to translate their periods of control into a more clinical performance as they pursue their first points of the campaign.
The match kicks off at 5:00 PM IST on Saturday, October 17.
