ISL 2025-26: Chennaiyin, Inter Kashi clash looking to wade through attacking troubles

Chennaiyin FC and Inter Kashi will have just survival on their minds when they meet in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.

The teams are equally poised on five points apiece, with CFC sitting 10th, one spot ahead of its upcoming opponent and a gulf away from the leaders of the 14-team table.

All hope is not lost for the two-time ISL champion, as it is unbeaten in three consecutive games in the league, and only a late Sandesh Jhingan header in its previous fixture against FC Goa denied it a first home win of the season.

Ahead of the game, CFC head coach Clifford Miranda said that, on Tuesday, he wants his side to emulate its first-half performance against Gaurs.

“We were very good with the ball. I felt we had great chances, and in the second half, we were unlucky not to score,” Miranda said.

“Towards the last five minutes, when we started making a few substitutions, is when we lost a bit of momentum. We had to make those changes because my players got tired. I think for the majority of the game, we were in control. (Against Inter Kashi) I expect us to do what we did in the first half, throughout the 90 minutes,” he added.

But for all its control, CFC’s troubles this season have stemmed from its inability to consistently find the back of the net, scoring just thrice in five games, the joint-least in the ongoing campaign.

New attacking recruits, Inigo Martin and Alberto Noguera, have failed to make an impact with zero goals so far. Moreover, Daniel Chima Chukwu’s availability is still uncertain after he was forced off the pitch with an injury in the previous game.

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The poor showing up front, however, has promoted former Punjab FC midfielder Maheson Singh Tongbram into the starting 11 in recent games, with Miranda dubbing the 21-year-old as the “best Indian number 10” at the moment.

While he has played around with combinations in attack, the centreback partnership of Pritam Kotal and Elsinho, along with Laldinliana Renthlei and Mandar Rao Desai as fullbacks, has been a constant for Miranda, who expects full-throttle assault from Kashi.

The Antonio Lopez Habas-led side will be desperate to put in a stronger shift in its debut season after losing three on the trot, against Jamshedpur, Mumbai City and Bengaluru, all of whom are currently in the top four. Its troubles are similar to those of its opponent, with overseas signings Nauris Petkevicius and Alfred Planas scoring just once each in five starts together this season.

But, Miranda, who briefly worked under Habas at ATK in 2016, predicts that the Spaniard will “prepare his team in a very direct way.”

“It will be even more because they have lost points. He will motivate his team to come out and be really, really hard on us. It is his mentality. So we will need to be focused from minute one until the final whistle,” he added.

The condition of the pitch in Chennai has been under the scanner since before the tournament. | Photo Credit: Joan Mathew Jacob

Additionally, the condition of the pitch in Chennai has been under the scanner since before the tournament, and Miranda said that while the groundsmen have done a good job, it still is not up to the mark.

“It’s not up to the level of what I’d seen when I came here with different teams as a coach and as a player as well. The surface is a bit soft, and it affects us more because we like to keep the ball on the floor. Not that much for a team that plays directly,” he noted.

With either side yet to deliver a memorable performance this season, the first game after the international break could be the platform for both to quash any worries regarding a drop off into the second tier.

Published on Apr 06, 2026

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