A confident Chennai City Football Club (CCFC) will open its I-League campaign against Indian Arrows at Goa on November 29.

CCFC Head coach V. Soundararajan sounded positive about the team’s chances. “Indian Arrows is tactically a very strong team. They are also a young and vibrant lot. But our boys have the experience and the skill to upset the calculations of any team.”

CCFC’s first away game will be against East Bengal, which it defeated 2-1 last season.

Will the team ride on that win when they get to meet at the Nehru Stadium here on December 23?

“Not really. We do not want to leave any stone unturned. For us, it will be a fresh beginning. We have been working pretty hard and I have been motivating my boys on the big matches ahead,” he added.

But team owner Rohit Ramesh had this to say. “We are positive because we have beaten them before. I expect the team to maintain the winning streak.”

He was also pleased with the team’s preparation. “We ran short of time last season but, this time around, we have rectified our weak areas. I must admit that everything is in place.”

Coach Soundararajan said the practice sessions are also crucial to meet the challenges. “We are expecting the renovation work at the home ground to be ready at least a week before the big clash. We need at least ten sessions and if we get to do that then it will do the team a world of good. The players will also get adapted to the conditions by then.”

The inspection of the Nehru Stadium was done by both S.P. Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, P. Balakrishna Reddy, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan on Sunday evening and CCFC CEO and co-owner R. Krishnakumar was confident of the work being completed by November end. Obviously, that will give the team that extra time for practice.

CCFC also launched its team jerseys at a City hotel here. “The idea is to give the team a fresh new look,” said Rohit.

CCFC’s entry into Coimbatore will not only mark a new beginning for the team but also bring back the game’s glory after a long break.