'It will be very difficult to motivate the players again' - ONGC FC coach Santosh Kashyap

23-Feb-2013 8:58:00 AM

The former Mohun Bagan coach has not given up on ONGC's I-League campaign despite the club's bleak future in the top tier of Indian football...

A recent report had suggested that Air India and ONGC FC could be officially out from the next season's I-League for non-fulfillment of Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Club Licensing Criterion.

ONGC FC head coach, Santosh Kashyap however refuses to rule out chances of his side's participation in the 2013-14 I-League season.

"As I am co-ordinating with [Bibek] Bhowmick (club official) and working on it, I hope so ONGC remains in the I-League next season," the 46-year-old told Goal.com on Friday.

"We (ONGC) will be starting practices soon. I haven't interacted with the players as yet. If some players start looking for other clubs, the the morale of the entire team will go down," he mentioned.

"It is very important after we have received the support for many years from the AIFF (All India Football Federation). But they (AIFF) also have to follow the Club Licensing Criteria and so we (ONGC) have to look out for the best possible option.

"I will be talking with Bhowmick on this in detail and then we will know something for sure. It will be very difficult to motivate the players again also," he added.

The former Mohun Bagan coach also felt for Mumbai FC's U-19 coach Naushad Moosha who has only recently taken over the reins at Air India will also face a similar fate as the Oilmen.

"Naushad Moosha has been named the coach of Air India, and now if Air India only do not remain in the I-League, it will be a bad start for him (Moosha) as he was with another club (Mumbai FC) for about three years," Kashyap stated.

Meanwhile it has been understood that ONGC FC, although currently training at the Vashi grounds in Mumbai, are looking to develop their home turf within the ONGC Colony in Panvel.

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