A brace from Amarjit Kiyam helped Indian Arrows secure a 2-0 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in the Hero Super Cup 2019 qualifiers at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Friday. The result takes the Indian Arrows through to the next round of the tournament, while the Blasters’ season came to a disappointing end.

At the post-match press conference, Arrows head coach Floyd Pinto had some warm words for his triumphant young brigade. Illustrating how big the result was for the players, Pinto said, "Massive. In fact, we don’t have words to express it because match after match, this season, these boys keep surprising people. These boys keep surprising us as well. They just keep pushing the barrier. This is how high confidence and momentum can take you. We didn’t just compete against a full-strength Kerala Blasters side, we dominated them. That shows the potential of these boys."

Pinto then went on to trace the development curve of his boys over the past year. "After last season’s defeat in the Hero Super Cup, we would never be able to perceive this situation. But as the season went on and as the players evolved, they grew with a stronger mentality, they grew with a stronger belief. The result against Real Kashmir, the result against Mohun Bagan, gave us so much momentum. I’m really proud of them. I hope they can take this into the U-23 and do well for the national team," he said.

Hero of the Match Prabhsukhan Singh Gill was brilliant in the Arrows goal on the night. Asked about his progression since the U-17 World Cup back in 2017, the 18-year-old stated, "I am a completely different player from what I was then. Last season, in the first match of the Hero I-League, I made a few mistakes but the coaches and the staff helped me overcome it. I got better and better as the tournament progressed. Even after the season ended I wanted to do better. Last season, I was making mistakes after the 80th minute. The mentality wasn't that strong. This season, we were mentally prepared to play good football. I need to thank the team because an individual can't win you a match. The team played splendidly today."

From the Kerala camp, head coach Nelo Vingada shared his thoughts on the match. He said, "First, I have to say congratulations to Indian Arrows. They showed that they can be the future of Indian football. It’s a team working and playing together, training every day since the last two-and-a-half years. They showed how great a job the team and the Federation are doing. Today, they deserved to win."

"This proves and shows how the season was so bad for Kerala. Today was a confirmation that the things were not good. So, it’s important now to think and reflect to see what was wrong. Not only today but throughout the season. If you ask me, I was expecting a better performance from my players, especially in the first half. In the second half, we had a better attitude. We were not lucky. This is football," he added.