Calcutta: Aizawl FC will be making their debut in this season’s I-League, but there is no reason to think that they are any less prepared than the other teams.

From a sleek website to the confidence of their 23-year-old captain, David Lalrinmuana — Aizawl seem absolutely ready to take on I-League champions Mohun Bagan in the I-League opener, on Saturday. The boys from Mizoram have already landed in the city and are eagerly counting down the hours before they take the field at the Barasat Stadium. 

“We are obviously excited… People might see us as underdogs, but we don’t see ourselves like that. We are ready to fight and we will not give up even though we know that we will be playing against the champions in our very first match,” David said. 

David added that there was no special preparation on their part in the lead-up to the Bagan match. “We are just trying to do the normal stuff that we do before every game,” he said. 

Aizawl is coached by Spanish Manuel Retamero Fraile and they have their four foreigners ready as well. “We have two Africans and two Japanese players in our squad. We are working hard.”

Aizawl’s strength also lies in the fact that barring the foreigners, most of their squad comprises Mizoram players. Speaking about their strengths, David said: “We have a strong midfield. Hope that clicks in our debut season,” David said. 

Meanwhile, the 2015-16 I-League was launched in the city on Wednesday, in the presence of the representatives of the nine participating clubs.