Tag: Princewill Emeka

CFL 2018/19: Mohammedan edge Customs to finish campaign

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club overcame Calcutta Customs 1-0 in their last match of the 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ at Barasat Stadium on Saturday. The result meant Mohammedan SC ended their campaign with 19 points.

A second-half goal from midfielder Satyam Sharma (66th minute) proved to be the decider between the two sides.

Going into the match, Mohammedan SC technical director Raghuanth Nandi for the first time in the season opted for a 4-4-2 formation to begin with as Philip Adjah Tetteh partnered Princewill Emeka upfront.

The game started at a furious pace with Mohammedan SC‚ as expected‚ pressed high to nullify Customs’ effort to rapidly circulate the ball. It was a fascinating tactical battle although‚ at times‚ a little predictable.

Resultantly there was a lot of possession turn over and not enough in the way of scoring chances.

The first real opportunity came after 19 minutes when Customs goalkeeper Suvam Sen made a save from Princewill‚ who had done well to turn the defence and put himself into a shooting position. But the Nigerian failed to get any real power behind his shot.

On the half hour mark‚ Adjah hit a wild effort from a tight angle well off target and eight minutes later defender Lancine Toure rose unchallenged to head a free kick narrowly wide.

Customs’s only chance of the first-half fell to Stanley Ifeanyi in between the Mohammedan SC defenders but his first touch let him down and the opportunity slipped by because of poor technique.

But the half ended with a chance for Mohammedan SC as Samuel Kane attempted to clear, only to play it onto the head of Princewill but he directed the ball straight at Suvam.

Needing a goal, Mohammedan SC came out all guns blazing in the second-half as they attacked by pushing high up. The pressure paid off as Black Panthers finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute. Dipendu Dowary held off a defender on the left flank and floated in a cross to the far post finding Satyam who converted with a right footed shot to put Mohammedan SC 1-0 up.

Having taken the lead, Mohammedan SC got a much needed confidence boost and they increased their pressure up front dominating the game entirely. Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, once again it was lack of finishing that prevented a bigger scoreline as the game ended 1-0 in Mohammedan SC’s favour.

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.

Mohammedan Sporting Sign Striker Phillip Adjah Tetteh

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club have added Ghanaian striker Phillip Adjah Tetteh to their roster for the ongoing CFL Premier Division ‘A’ as a replacement for Leonce Dodoz, who is sidelined owing to a ankle injury.

Since the former Aizawl FC forward suffered injury at Mohammedan Sporting’s residential training camp ahead of 2018/19 campaign in Kalyani last month, the Black Panthers were running thin on attacking options despite bringing in Princewill Emeka from TRAU, and they have decided to strengthen their options further by bringing on board another foreign striker as they are looking for someone who can compliment Princewill.

The 20-year-old Phillip joins the Black Panthers from Ghana-based Bafali Sporting Club. Phillip has completed his registration at Indian Football Association (IFA) office this afternoon, and he is available for selection against Peerless SC on Thursday.

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.”