Ahli Sana’a goalkeeper and captain Manadh Abdul during practice at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday, the eve of the AFC Cup encounter against East Bengal. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta: During the joint news conference at Salt Lake Stadium on Monday, the lone Yemeni reporter accompanying the Ahli Sana’a squad in the city asked East Bengal coach Aloke Mukherjee about his team’s chances in the AFC Cup encounter. The former India left-back didn’t even pause to reflect and said with a smile that looked more like a grimace, “Of course, we’ll try to win.”

Aloke’s statement and his facial topography was, in fact, an apology for his short, shambolic and winless reign as the East Bengal coach so far. Ever since he took the beleaguered team to the finishing line of the season, he knew quite well that he hadn’t time to transform the side — which just about survived relegation from the I-League under Manoranjan Bhattacharjee — into a dazzling bunch of players.

He started off on a low with the Super Cup defeat to I-League winners Dempo followed by the exit from the IFA Shield group stage and another loss to Al Safa in the AFC Cup opener in Beirut, the latter exactly a week ago.

Dempo, meanwhile, will face Sur Club in Oman in their AFC Cup match on Tuesday. The I-League champions beat Al Ansar of Lebanon 3-1 in their first match.

A decent man caught up in the not-so-decent politics of the game, Aloke seems resigned to the fact that his sojourn, barring divine intervention, is heading towards doom. His reply to the inquisitive foreigner on the eve of the second AFC Cup match was mere confirmation of his plight rather than genuine belief that he could turn things around.

Cutting a brave face, Aloke continued: “Perhaps luck has not favoured East Bengal this season. It’s kind of a bad patch. Let’s see if it can change tomorrow.”

Adjusting himself in his seat, flanked by his playmaker Alvito D’Cunha and rival coach Sabah Jumah, Aloke then raised his voice to say, “everyday is not Sunday,” perhaps referring to his conviction that things would fall in place sooner or later.

His forward line’s lack of scoring ability is a thorn in his side and has been since he began his journey with the red-and-golds.

“We have been creating innumerable chances but have not been able to convert them. Even against Safa in Beirut, we suffered from the same disease. If you don’t make the most of at least 40 per cent of your chances, you have no right to win a match,” Aloke said, urging the Edmilsons and Ashim Biswases to shine and brighten up their gloomy canvas at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Having listened to his opposite number’s cry for goals, the Ahli Sana’a coach decided to keep his cards close to his chest, only saying that “East Bengal have three foreigners and they are all good.”

He said that they had come here with the same squad that held Al Wihdat of Jordan 1-1 in their opening match of the AFC Cup, but that “there would be a change in our combination” against East Bengal.

His captain and goalkeeper Manadh Abdul emphasised that that they were looking for a “positive” result. “We are currently placed second in the national league back home. We want to keep that momentum going,” he said.

Both Aloke and Alvito, however, will draw inspiration from history, even though the players have complained of fatigue. For the record, East Bengal have won 53 times in 117 matches they have so far clashed with foreign outfits.

“East Bengal are known to play well against foreign outfits. Though I’ve already lost to foreign teams (Santos SC of South Africa in the IFA Shield and Al Safa of Lebanon in the AFC Cup), I still believe the boys will rise to the occasion tomorrow. It’s time to show their credentials… time to fire,” Aloke said.

In a 4-1-4-1 formation, Aloke is set to start with Edmilson as the lone striker and Mehrajuddin Wadao in the hole between the defence and midfield.

“I don’t want to go on the offensive from the beginning. We’ll rely more on counter-attacks,” the coach said.

Alvito said, “Talking will take us nowhere. We need to deliver on the pitch. We need goals… We need luck tomorrow,”

If the Alvitos take their own advice, their coach should have no trouble making his smile look genuine.