KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will hope to end on a high when they take on Mohun Bagan in the last match of their 2016/17 Calcutta Football League campaign at the Kalyani Stadium on Sunday.

Currently on third with 17 points from 9 games, the Black Panthers would not settle for anything less than a victory against Mohun Bagan which could ensure the runners-up spot for them if Tollygunge Agragami, who are on 11 points from 7 outings, drop points in any of their remaining games.

“The journey so far has been a magnificent one. Though some doubted us at the beginning but we were confident and always played for a win. Boys showed tremendous heart in every game and I am proud of the team that we have reached this far,” Mohammedan SC head caoch Mridul Banerjee said reflecting back upon the team’s performance in the league.

Though Mohammedan SC lost 0-1 to East Bengal in their last game on Thursday but coach Banerjee beleives that there are some positives which his team can take from that game.

“Every match is different. We don’t want to think about what has happened in the past and just concentrate on the tomorrow’s game. I have said in the past that I only focus on one match at a time and here in Mohammedan SC my aim is to win every game, so even in the last game my team will be going all out for full three points,” coach Banerjee added.

On the team news front, Mohammedan SC will be missing the services of skipper Rana Gharami and winger Atinder Mani owing to their accumulation of yellow cards.

Going into the game, which will be CFL’s second and last Kolkata Derby, Mohammedan SC will be relying heavily on Leonce Dodoz and team’s top scorer Manvir Singh to get past a resolute Mohun Bagan defence that have conceded least number of goals in the league.

But in the absence of Rana the real test awaits for the defense. It promises to be a strenuous task for the Lancine Toure and company containing the of Darryl Fuffy and Daniel Bidemi, who have scored 6 goals each in the competion and will be looking to add to their tally.

For the record, Mohammedan SC are unbeaten against Mohun Bagan in their previous three CFL encounters, a record that will give a boost to Mohammedan SC’s confidence.

The match at Kalyani Stadium will kick off at 2.30 pm and will televised live on ETV News Bangla.

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club are looking to delay East Bengal’s title coronation when they face off in the Calcutta Football League on Thursday at the Kalyani Stadium.

The Black Panthers are coming into the game, billed as the Mini Derby, on the back of a 2-2 draw against United Sports Club last week which ended their title hopes. However, head coach Mridul Bannerjee believes that there is still plenty to play for and strictly advised players to concentrate on the task at hand.

“Overall we had a good season and I am happy about my team’s performance. Despite limited resources, boys put up a brilliant performance in all the matches. We want to continue the good work in our remaining matches and finish the league on high,” coach Bannerjee said.

The high voltage clash is crucial to both teams for distinct reasons. While a draw is enough for East Bengal to secure seventh successive league title, breaking their own record of six back-to-back triumphs, a positive result will brighten Mohammedan SC’s chances of finishing second after eight years.

“It will be an enticing affair and the team which can handle the pressure better will be able to prevail. East Bengal are a very good side and have shown how easily they can dominate teams. But we have shown that we are a team not to be taken lightly. We will go hard at them enforcing our own style of attacking flare and I am confident we will get a positivie result out of the game,” coach Bannerjee added.

Facing East Bengal, Mohammedan SC will rely on Ivorian Zikahi Leonce Dodoz along side club’s top-scorer Manvir Singh, who scored four goals, to lead the front-line with Mumtaz Akhtar, Dipendu Dowary and Atinder Mani all are capable enough in pumping blood through heart-line. Meanwhile, the much awaited club debut of Alexandre Tabillon is likely to happen tomorrow.

For the record, Mohammedan SC last defeated East Bengal in Calcutta Football League on August 10, 2014, since then East Bengal have never lost a single game in CFL and unbeaten in 26 straight games, a streak that the Black Panthers will be eager to end.

The match at Kalyani Stadium will kick off at 2.30 pm and will televised live on ETV News Bangla.