DUSHANBE, 02.03.2018 /NIAT “Khovar”/. The head coach of the FC “Istiqlol” Muhsin Muhammadiyev, on the eve of the match for the 2018 Super Cup of Tajikistan against FC “Khujand”, noted that in the new football season his team will try to win everything that is possible. It was reported by the press service of the Football Federation of Tajikistan.

Muhsin Muhammadiev, head coach of FC “Istiqlol”:

— First of all, I want to congratulate everyone on the start of the new football season in Tajikistan. Unfortunately, we failed to win the Super Cup of Tajikistan last year. We are very serious about the match against “Khujand” and will try to prove that last year’s misfires in the Super Cup and the Cup final were an absurd accident.

We want this season, on opportunities, to win everything that is possible. It is very difficult, but before “Istiqlol” there are always big tasks – to win in any tournament in which the club participates. We consider the match for the Super Cup as preparation for the match of the first round of the 2018 AFC Cup group stage against the Turkmen “Ahal”.

Last week we returned from Tashkent, where we had a 10-day training camp. We played 5 test games, watched a lot of newbies. Of the large group left three legionaries. They are Sergei Tikhonovsky and Nikolai Zenko from Belarus, as well as Alexander Garbar from Ukraine. Due to the limit on legionnaires Garbar was not named for participation in the AFC Cup, but he will help us in domestic competitions.

How much percent of “Istiqlol” is ready for the season now? I think the percentage is 85. The team will be ready for 100 percent already closer to the game with “Ahal”.

Compared with last year, the composition of “Istiqlol” has undergone significant changes. The club left 6 players of the main lineup — Nuriddin Davronov, Jahongir Aliyev, Manuchehr Jalilov, David Mavutor, Dmitry Barkov and Alexander Stetsenko. Each player made a great contribution to the overall success of the club.

Now we are building new club, which, as you know, is not done in one day. New players have come. I think that in a short period we created a good collective that can solve big problems, despite all our losses. We wanted to announce one Asian, but, unfortunately, failed.

Nikola Stosic, goalkeeper of “Istiqlol”:

— No one final is easy. We know perfectly well that “Khujand” is a strong team. We will give all forces in the match to take revenge for defeat in the last final of the Cup of Tajikistan. We will try to show our game.