Hyderabad FC head coach Thangboi Singto is happy with the fighting spirit displayed by his young Indian players, despite his side going down 3-0 to Odisha FC at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.

We go down, but not without a fight 👊#HFCOFC #ISL10 #TheNawabs 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/xGQqP03H6W

— Hyderabad FC (@HydFCOfficial) February 5, 2024

The Yellow and Black remain the only side without any victories in the ISL this season, suffering their 9th defeat in the league. However, the young Indian squad, led by their only foreign player, Joao Victor, who is also the captain of the side, not only showed glimpses of hope but also created genuine goal-scoring opportunities.

Hyderabad FC attempted 10 shots in total; however, only three of them were on target. Singto believes his side needs to work a little harder to overcome the barrier of not being able to score goals.

“The young boys are working so hard that sometimes you pray for those efforts to translate into goals. However, I believe football is not that free-giving. You need to keep working hard, and I think we will eventually break the barrier of getting those goals,” Singto said in the pre-match press conference.

Young Aron Vanlalrinchhana came off the bench for the final few minutes and came close to scoring a brilliant goal as he dribbled past a couple of defenders to enter the penalty box. However, he couldn't keep his composure, as Amrinder Singh came off his line in time to deny him a shot on goal.

“So, many positives (from the game) because not only I, but we (the supporting staff) are so happy when, for example, Aron (Vanlalrinchhana) came and dribbled past (the defenders). But you know, if he had little more experience and decisiveness in the six-yard or 18-yard box (he would have scored), but for that, I think we need to train him more,” he commented.

Another young forward, Joseph Sunny, who made his debut in the last game against FC Goa, was given his first start in the ISL. Singto sees a lot of potential in him and believes he could be a great prospect for the No. 9 role.

“It is very difficult to find an Indian striker for the No. 9 position. I believe he is someone you can develop further as a No. 9, but he needs more game time and additional training, and we are here to support him,” the head coach said.

Despite a busy schedule, the Kalinga Warriors are on a top run of form. Sergio Lobera left out Carlos Delgado and Ahmed Jahouh on the bench, giving them the much-needed rest. Singto believes the absence of Jahouh made it a little easier for his side to create more openings; however, that doesn’t diminish the valiant effort of his players.

“Odisha FC have a lot of games coming up, so they rested (Carlos) Delgado and Ahmed Jahouh. That little bit of helped us because Jahouh is someone who can build and play out from the back. But putting that aside, I believe the young boys were fearless. They stuck to the tactical instructions,” Singto said.