Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil shared his dissatisfaction at his team suffering a 0-2 defeat against NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Thursday.

Alaaeddine Ajaraie struck a goal in each half as the Highlanders completed their first league double over the Men of Steel in the ISL. This defeat marks Jamshedpur FC’s second home defeat in 11 matches.

The visitors broke the deadlock with an early goal courtesy of Thoi Singh’s inch-perfect assist from the right flank. The Indian winger-forward played a delightful ball inside the Jamshedpur FC box, and the Moroccan sensation, Ajaraie, made no mistake in opening the scoring.

However, Jamil’s men created several clear-cut opportunities with Javi Hernandez, Javier Siverio, Rei Tachikawa, and others throughout the game. Mohammed Sanan and Imran Khan generated numerous final third entries from both flanks but couldn’t get the equalizer.

With the hosts trailing at half-time, Jamil brought in Australian forward Jordan Murray and midfielder Mobashir Rahman in the place of Tachikawa and Pronay Halder, adding attacking flair to the game. The Men of Steel also had their chances in the second half with Murray and Seiminlen Doungel, but a resilient NorthEast United FC defense line led by Michel Zabaco prevented the Men of Steel from finding the back of the net.

However, Ajaraie sealed the victory for Juan Pedro Benali’s side in the 81st minute with his rebound strike after missing the initial opportunity from the spot-kick.

Jamil voiced his displeasure about his team succumbing to a defeat, especially in front of their home crowd, as he believed they could have got at least one point from the game.

“Yes, we have lost; it is our home ground; we must get at least a point, but they played better,” Jamil said in the post-match press conference.

Following his brace against the Highlanders, Ajaraie has now scored six braces in the ongoing ISL season, the outright highest such tally in a single campaign by any player, overtaking Ferran Corominas’ five braces in 2018-19.

Jamil acknowledged Ajaraie’s offensive prowess and highlighted his game-changing abilities behind their loss against the Highlanders.

“They have a quality player, (Alaaeddine) Ajaraie; he did the damage for us,” the Jamshedpur FC head coach remarked.

Jamshedpur FC will next face Mohammedan Sporting Club in an away fixture on February 20. Jamil urged his players to rectify their mistakes to get a positive result from the forthcoming fixture.

“Yes, we must recover and think about the next game,” Jamil opined.