Tag: Mohammedan Sporing Club

CFL 2018/19: Mohammedan, East Bengal Set For A Epic Showdown

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will not be short of motivation when they take on East Bengal in Mini Kolkata Derby as Raghunath Nandi’s men battle for pride at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Saltlake Stadium) on Tuesday, kick-off 4:30 pm.

Black Panthers returns to the Saltlake Stadium exactly after 4 years as they played their last match at this iconic venue on September 11, 2014 against Sports Authority of India.

Mohammedan SC are at sixth position on the Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ log with 13 points from 7 matches. Even if mathematically Mohammedan SC are still within their rights to hold out hopes of a miraculous late surge to success, subconsciously they know this is now a near impossible task. As a result, it will be only natural if there is not the same motivation to succeed tomorrow as there might have been in their previous matches.

However, Black Panthers technical director believes there is plenty to play for and strictly advised his players to concentrate on the task at hand, as they are keen to present a good account of themselves in remaining matches.

“The league is not over yet and we are taking the game very seriously. There is pride to be played for,” said Nandi. “We have to make our supporters happy by winning this game against East Bengal.”

On the other hand, East Bengal’s title chase faltered after they lost 2-1 against Peerless in their last encounter. Now Subhash Bhowmick’s charges must win their remaining two matches while at the same time hoping that Mohun Bagan drop points.

Although Mohammedan SC won their last match 2-1 against West Bengal Police but Nandi feels meeting a wounded East Bengal is not going to be easy.

“We are playing a tough side in East Bengal. It’s a difficult moment for them because they lost their last match. But they are more than capable of a comeback. We have to put up some good work and make sure we take care of their strengths.”

“Preparations for the game have gone quite well. The victory against West Bengal Police did a lot of good for our confidence. The performance has been good; we just need to work on few aspects. There are no favourites once the match kicks-off and the better team will win eventually,” he added.

Mohammedan SC, going into the match, will rely on Princewill Emeka to lead the line. The former Neorca FC marksman is slowly regaining his form, having scored thrice in last three matches.

Princewill’s battle with East Bengal’s Costa Rican defender Johnny Acosta will be a key to the outcome, and the Nigerian has ensured they have nothing to fear against Acosta, who played the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“It’s not just about one player. He (Johnny Acosta) played the World Cup and deserves credit for that. But we must remind he was there with a different set-up. He is new to Indian football and still needs to prove himself. I don’t think his presence on the field would make any difference as long as we play our own game,” he explained.

With Nandi hoping to persuade Black Panthers hierarchy he has the credentials for the coaching position beyond this campaign, a derby victory is important, not least because it can be the barometer by which most fans measure the fortunes of the club.

Now a days the rivalry don’t not carry the same weight it did years ago, mainly because Black Panthers are no longer the dominating force in local football, however, people should expect fireworks when the two sides clash with pride on the line.

CFL 2018/19: Mohammedan Looking To Add To Police’s Woes

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will aim to bounce back after suffering a reverse in their last game, as they gear up to take on West Bengal Police in the Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ at Mohammedan Sporting ground on Tuesday, kick-off at 4:30 pm.

Mohammedan SC, who suffered their second defeat against Peerless SC 0-1 in their last match, remains on 10 point from six matches and only a strange and highly unlikely set of results would see them finishing among the top two.

West Bengal Police, on the other hand, are currently rooted to the bottom of the league table with a solitary point from five matches as Black Panthers set their sights on adding to Police’s woes.

In their last match, Mohammedan SC created ample scoring chances, but poor finishing let them down and technical director Raghu Nandi acknowledged that it was his side’s defensive lapse that saw them concede a goal in the first-half.

“The last game against Peerless was a tough one. We had our chances but at the end it was our mistakes that proved costly. I think lapse in concentration at the back cost us the game, however, we have closed the chapter on the previous match and want to focused on the task at hand,” said Nandi.

Nandi hopes his team would not repeat the mistakes tomorrow as anything less than three points against West Bengal Police means their chances of a top three finish considerably lessened.

However, Nandi says he will not be hitting any panic buttons just yet despite his side’s dreadful run of form, however, continues to lament the missed chances and the nature in which they have been conceding goals.

He also maintains that the misfiring in front of goals was “just bad luck” for the team. “My players are working hard and showing commitment, all we need is that bit of luck to score.”

Princewill Glad To Be Off The Mark

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club forward Princewill Emeka says he is determined to score more goals to improve Black Panthers’s chance of winning silverware.

The former TRAU player, who has made 5 appearances for the Kolkata giants this season, bagged his first goal for the club in a 3-0 victory over Pathachakra Club yesterday, a big win for the side as they look to keep up with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

“I want to thank the supporters for pushing us to the limit.” Princewill said. “I will continue working hard. I want to keep scoring to improve the chances of us lifting the title.”

“I was so happy when I saw the net rattled. That was a great feeling. I want to thank our technical director Raghu Nandi for keeping faith in me.” he added.

Finding the back of the net for the first time in a season is always a challenge according to Princewill, but once one has gotten himself up and running goals will follow, he says, and Princewill is confident that he can now start finding the back of the net with regularity.

“I have always found that getting my first goal of any season is always the most difficult one, but once I get onto the score sheet for the first time, things usually get better from that point. I now have my first goal under my belt so that pressure is off me and I believe that the rest will flow form here.”

Meanwhile, Mohammedan SC technical director Raghu Nandi set him aside for praise, saying, “To play in the Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ you have to be brave. To be able to play for Mohammedan Sporting Club you need to develop a crust beyond brave. I am very happy for Princewill.”