"Although we didn't win, I am proud of the performance" - Mark Zothanpuia happy with the fight shown by Hyderabad FC against Bengaluru | ISL 2023-24

Hyderabad FC's Mark Zothanpuia is the talk of the town at the moment. The 21-year-old, who is originally a midfielder, played as a left-back for most of the first phase of the ISL and was asked to don the central defender's role when Hyderabad FC faced Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.

Zothanpuia took that challenge up without uttering a word and showcased why he is made of sterner stuff, and why he can be relied upon at all times. In short, Zothanpuia displayed grit and character when the Nawabs needed him the most.

Coming up against Sunil Chhetri, who was making his 150th ISL appearance, the young Mizo remained unfazed and marked him as tightly as possible.

In the end, the India captain struggled to get past him or have the luxury to move around as freely as he would have liked to.

This, if not the 1-2 scoreline that deepened Hyderabad FC's crises this season, was a moral victory that Zothanpuia can well claim, although his disarming smile negated all thoughts of self-preservation when he spoke to Sportskeeda after the game.

"It was a really good experience for us. It was the best opportunity for us to show everyone who was watching that we were good enough and could hold our own in these challenging situations. More or less, I think, we were able to do so against one of the best teams in the country," said Zothanpuia.

"It feels amazing to play against Sunil Chhetri. He is one of the greatest players in the country. It was also a pleasure to play against him and test my skills. Although we didn't win, I am extremely proud of the performance of the boys. We did exceedingly well today, and we will only get better from here," he added.

"I am grateful to have coach Thangboi Singto and his staff teaching me how to get better every day" - Mark Zothanpuia

Zothanpuia was commended for his willingness to play in unfamiliar positions and take up challenges that he can very well avoid given that he is one of the few players at the club who have played ISL football before this season.

Does he count himself as a senior member of the team despite not being older than most of his teammates? The easy smile comes out again as he responds in the negative.

However, the coaching staff of Thangboi Singto deserves plaudits for Zothanpuia's impeccable shape-shifting skills both with and without the ball, and the latter is rather grateful for that.

"I don't know how I have adapted to these challenges (laughs)! I just watch a lot of videos of players who have played in various positions and try to learn from them. Coach Thangboi (Singto) has taught me a lot and his help in getting me to adapt and adjust to every position is what has worked well, I think. I am grateful to have him and his staff teaching me how to get better every day," said Zothanpuia.

Zothanpuia and Hyderabad are now preparing to clash against Punjab FC at the Maidaan in Gachibowli on Tuesday.