"Playing out from the back is important as it gives our defenders confidence" - Mumbai City goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa on being a sweeper-keeper

Mumbai City FC face one of their toughest challenges of the season when they host Al-Hilal in the AFC Champions League at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday.

Mumbai do not have too many fond memories from the reverse fixture played earlier this season. They were thrashed by a whopping 0-6 scoreline by the Saudi side.

On Monday, however, they will feel that they can put up a strong performance with the backing of their home supporters who will not make life easy for Al-Hilal.

When the AFC draw was announced, Mumbai was buzzing at the prospect of seeing Neymar in action. The Brazilian, however, will miss Monday’s match due to a knee injury he picked up during a World Cup qualifier last month.

Mumbai City's goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa, who played a small part in keeping the scoreline down to just six that night, is fresh and ready to take the Al-Hilal challenge head-on yet again.

Lachenpa is one of the few goalkeepers in the country who can qualify to be a sweeper-keeper. He possesses a host of abilities apart from merely blocking shots between the posts.

Apart from his handling, Lachenpa's distribution skills are talked about the most. The way he brings his midfielders into play by surpassing his defenders with lobbed balls has helped the Islanders on plenty of occasions. His calm and composed demeanour when put under pressure often makes headlines.

As he sits down for an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Phurba Lachenpa opens up on how important it is to be a sweeper-keeper in modern-day football, what the red card incident against Hyderabad FC meant to him and much more.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Q. Al Hilal are a strong side. But playing at home, do you think you will have an advantage? Also, what are your thoughts on the DY Patil pitch?

Lachenpa: I think they are one of the best sides in Asia. Not just in Asia, they have players who have played in the Premier League as well. However, I don't know how the weather will pin out and how Al Hilal's players will cope with it. We will take a lot of positives from this game and try to implement it in the ISL, and try to win games there.

In the last game against them, we learnt a lot and understood the level we were coming up against. We haven't been to the DY Patil Stadium yet, but we trust the management and know that the pitch will be ready for the game. We have heard that there has been a huge sale of tickets, so the atmosphere will be terrific.

Q. Would you like to talk about the red card incident against Hyderabad? Coach Des Buckingham thought it should have been a yellow.

Lachenpa: Well, it's football, and sometimes it happens. I cannot blame someone else and have to look at myself. Because when you blame others and don't look at yourself, you do not improve. I think I made an error, and I will learn from it in the future.

I am not too sure if it would have been a yellow or a red, but definitely, I made a mistake and I have to own up to that. I will improve from these experiences.

Phurba Lachenpa working hard in the gym. (MCFC)

Q. A lot of that incident was down to how quickly you came out of your position. How important is being a sweeper-keeper to you? Do you model yourself on someone?

Lachenpa: Being a sweeper-keeper is very important to me. From the time I started playing professionally, I always wanted to be different. The thing is, if you put anyone on goal, he can block shots. But the goalkeeper in the modern game has to be different.

I was that way when I started with Shillong Lajong and when I came to Mumbai, I was trusted completely by the coach. Even when I made mistakes, he (Des Buckingham) used to come up to me and say, "You are doing a good job. I will back you all the way." His faith helped me a lot in gaining confidence.

In this modern era, we need to analyze the game and not just make saves. Playing out, or sweeping out from the back is important because it also gives our defenders a lot of confidence. I have learnt a lot about sweeping-keeping from Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and these days, Ederson.

I used to play as a midfielder when I was younger, but because of my height, my coach asked me to play as a goalkeeper. I think that is the story of most goalkeepers (smiles).

Q. Since you mention it, indulge me a little. Let us hark back to the past. Can you tell us a bit about your Shillong Lajong days? The club is seen as a nursery, having produced so many top footballers.

Lachenpa: I owe a lot to Shillong Lajong because they were my first professional club. They have one of the best academies in the country. The club has had a huge impact on my life.

The way they gave us a platform and believed in our ability was fantastic. They always believed in youngsters and backed us wholeheartedly. Lajong's philosophy has always been to give opportunities to young players from the Northeast, and that helped us a lot.

I worked with current Hyderabad head coach Thangboi Singto there as well as Gumpe Rime, who is now the goalkeeping coach at the Reliance Foundation. Rime's inputs were crucial for improving my basics.

Q. How hard was it to motivate yourself when you were suspended?

Lachenpa: It is not very hard because as a goalkeeper, you have to forget things quickly and stay in the moment. The past has to be done away with as the present and future are there to come.

My goal is not to play well in just one game; my motivation is to do well throughout the season and be consistent. That is my motivation, so it was not that hard during training.

Q. How is the culture in the Mumbai City dressing room? What is your relationship with Buckingham like?

Lachenpa: Everyone's relationship with the coach is good. He is someone who always wants to come up to us and have a chat, be it after a training session or after a game. He has immense trust in us, and that is very important. That is the reason why we can showcase our best performances.

Even when we have ups and downs, we do not discourage each other in the dressing room. In the last game as well (against Punjab FC), we were 0-1 down at half-time but came back to score two goals and win it 2-1 in the second half. That showcases our mentality.

Phurba Lachenpa in pre-game warmup for Mumbai City. (MCFC)

Q. What are your goals for the season? Was there anything specific you worked at training?

Lachenpa: I think the season is going very well. We are in a very good place in the league. I had a tough start to the season. First, I had an eye infection and then received a red card. Now, I have to forget these bad incidents and focus on my training. Whenever I train, I always try to pick up small things that can be useful to me. I hope this season will be good for us.

Q. Now, Phurba, for the million-dollar question. Can Mumbai City retain the title? Mohun Bagan are sure to give a tough challenge.

We have a very good coach and a very good environment. We will definitely go for the title; we believe that we can do it. And it's not just Mohun Bagan, other top teams like Odisha FC, FC Goa and NorthEast United are also doing well. A lot of these teams are going to be challenging but hopefully, we can come home with the title.

Q. Finally, a message for the loyal Mumbai fans?

Lachenpa: The supporters have always been there for us. I know that we have limited seats in the stands, but they have always filled them. The way they come and welcome us before the bus arrives gives us huge motivation.

Hopefully, they can continue to be there throughout the season. We will give our best and try to bring joy to their lives.