ISL 2021-22: It was a dream for me to win on this ground – Hyderabad FC’s Laxmikant Kattimani

Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani was delighted after he helped his team clinched their maiden Hero Indian Super League after beating Kerala Blasters FC on penalties at the PJN Stadium, Fatorda on Sunday. Kattimani came up with a stellar show on penalties as he brought his best in the shootout.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time. Rahul KP scored in the 68th minute of the game for the Southerners. Subsequently, Sahil Tavora equalized for Hyderabad FC in the 88th minute of the game to take the game into the extra time.

However, Hyderabad FC won 3-1 on penalties after Laxmikant Kattimani made three fantastic saves for his team.

“Definitely. It was a dream for me to win on this ground and I did it today. I am happy for the whole team. My brother (Sahil Tavora) scored an excellent goal that took us to extra time,” said Kattimani in the post-match interview.

Kattimani gave credit to the team’s head coach Manuel Marquez for the club’s success in this season.

“Our coach Manuel. He kept us up every day, asking us to play compact. We did our job and you can see at the end of the season that we are the champions of the Hero ISL.”

On the other hand, Sahil Tavora was delighted with the team’s performance. Tavora added it was great to have the fans back in the stadium for the final and showered praise on the team’s coach.

“After a long time, the fans were back in the stadium. It was a great atmosphere here. Obviously, Manjapadda are a very loud fan group and they are really awesome fans. Deccan Legion, the Hyderabad FC fans, also put on a great show. My family and friends were here too. So, it was a great moment for me. Kattimani here deserves all the credit. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him, throughout the entire season.

“We have a coach who is demanding and he demands 100% every day and in every game. So, we know we have to be on it. For example, in the second leg against ATK Mohun Bagan, we didn’t do our best. He told us that today we have to put on a show and give our best and that’s what we did,” added Sahil.