Today Mohun Bagan resumed practice for AFC Cup after having two days rest. Today all the players were present in practice today including Sangram, Habibur, Odafe and Barreto who skipped practice session due to injury and will not be part of the team that will travel to Jordan. Coach has not yet decided on their replacement yet. Tommorow practice session will resume at 7.45 a.m. and there will be a practice match that is scheduled to start from 8.30 a.m. Team will take Saturday’s flight to go to Jordan.

Habibur has slight hamstring injury and so has been rested for this match, today during the practice he was seen exercising in the gym. Speaking exclusively to us, he said, "I am happy with the performance of Mohun Bagan this year, we have missed out on one trophy this year. I am hopeful that next year we will make it 4 out of 4. I have 2 years contract and I am very much happy in Mohun Bagan with my coach, coplayers and officials." Goalkeeper Sangram who suffered a leg injury in Kuwait said that likely he will not be able to play the last match of Mohun Bagan this year that will be held on May 19th. He is hopeful that he will be fit by 1 month.

Today in practice there were two new players, Manish, a midfielder from New Delhi and a foreigner, both of them have been recommended by Chima Okerie. Coach Karim after practice said, "Team is extremely tired after a tiring season and there are few injuries but still we will try our level best to perform well in the last 2 AFC Cup matches."

 

 

 

 

After practice, there was a group photo session held in club lawn with all the three trophies that Mohun Bagan won this year. Added to this, all the players individually posed with the three trophies. On behalf of Mohun Bagan club, all the players will be given two photographs (one group photo and his individual one) as a memento to keep with them for this year’s successful performance. This is really a unique thing which has been done by club officials and coach. Also Rs. 15000 has been given to all the players who were part of Super Cup team and Rs. 5000 has been given to the reserve players and supporting staff.

Captain Bhaichung said, "The season has been a very successful one. We just missed on the I league, perhaps we should have done better in the first few matches. Coach Karim has done a great job and you can see that the result shows how good he was."

The prospect of playing the Asian Cup two years from now lights up Baichung Bhutia’s eyes, but when it comes to discussing the future of Indian football, he hesitates and stumbles. His has been a case of been-there-done-that, but 17 years into his close association with Indian football, Baichung shudders to think that the game is actually going backwards in this country, thanks to poor infrastructure and an aimless system. Any unfulfilled dream? Baichung paused for a while before saying: “It was not possible this season. But I really want to win the I-League for Mohun Bagan.” “I don’t think we have been serious enough in improving basic needs for the game to grow. The quality has gone up with the introduction of I-League, but the worst part is that infrastructure has remained the same. We are talking about taking a forward stride, but lack of infrastructure is actually taking Indian football backwards,” the Indian captain told a gathering during CII’s Young Indians programme on Wednesday. No wonder then that he urges the national federation to have a long-term plan in place. An icon for the youth, Baichung delved into several aspects of the game and life during the interactive session. He wants the young voters to choose their candidate properly, without being driven by political ideologies. The Mohun Bagan skipper, who has just finished reading Booker Prize winner Arvind Adiga’s The White Tiger, borrowed a line from the book, saying: “Most voters in the country are half-baked and there are other half-cooked ideas in their head.”

    

Mohun Bagan team today returned to Kolkata with Super Cup trophy. Jose Barreto, who was injured after scoring the winning goal, today had plastic surgery in his tongue in a city nursing home and then was soon discharged after the operation. Marcos said, “Mohun Bagan is the best team of the country as we had beaten I league champions Churchill twice this year. Our performance this year was very consistent.” Manju who has made a habit of scoring goals said, “I am happy in Mohun Bagan, if I get good offer, I will stay here only. We are very satisfied by beating Churchill and winning Super Cup.” Mohun Bagan team will have their next practice session on Thursday morning at 8.30 am.

According to Sports Planet in Zee Sports, Karim Bencharifa and Sangram Mukherjee has been selected as best coach and best goalkeeper of I league, though official confirmation has not yet been received by both of them. Federation Cup Champion Mohun Bagan team will go to Gurgaon tomorrow to play their Super Cup match against I league champion Churchill Brothers. The match will be held on April 26th in Gurgaon. Last year Mohun Bagan beat Dempo 4-0 to win Super Cup. The 18 member team for Super Cup is: Sangram, Shilton, Rahul, Manju, Dipak, Vashan, Mohanraj, Habibur, Ishfaq, James Sr., Lalkamal, Rakesh, Lalramluah, Marcos, Barreto, Branco, Bhaichung and Tulunga.

Coach, we heard you are being selected as the best coach of I league.

Karim: Thanks but I have not got any official confirmation of this yet from AIFF. I saw this in yesterday’s Sports Planet in Zee sports. You know, I would have been more happy if Mohun Bagan would have won the I league. We fought till last round but just could not manage to reach the goal. But if the news is true, then I would first like to thanks All India Football Federation and dedicate this fully to my players without whom I am nothing and also to the officials of Mohun Bagan club who has given full support to me. We have worked as a team. Of course, you know, I make plans and strategies but ultimately it is the players who implement them in field, so this reward is for them only.

What do you think was the main reason?

Karim: See I don’t want to look back in the past and the mistakes we made in the past. Right now, we will try our best to win Super Cup. But yes, talking about I league, first few matches we faltered, I think that cost us the I league, many key players were injured at that time.

Coming to AFC Cup, what went wrong in Kuwait?

Karim: We were completely outplayed by the Kuwait team. They were much superior side. In Kolkata, we played with our full team against their second team (6 key players were absent from their team) but still we could not penetrate much. Whereas in Kuwait, they got their full team and we did not have 3 important players Bhaichung, Odafa and Mama. Bhaichung and Odafa are first team players and both of them are very good aerial ball players, especially during setpieces.

50% of the reason that we lost the match was due to their superior quality and physique, we were completely outplayed by them. 25% I can be blamed because may be I was not able to motivate the players enough to play well and the remaining 25% reason I don’t want to discuss here.

Kuwait SC dominated the match and we were 2-0 down within 20 minutes. After that, we started controlling the game a bit but was not able to penetrate their defence. We tried to hold the ball and attack but soon after we conceded 2 more goals against run of play and match was over in first half only.

AFC quoted you as saying we lost due to mistake by goalkeeper and defence?

Karim: I was misquoted. I never criticize my player. What I said was we had a bad game and Kuwait SC played well, dominated the match and won comfortably. Actually it was the Kuwait coach who said that Mohun Bagan played so well in Kolkata but here I think their defence and goalkeeper let them down. It was his opinion and not mine. Actually I was speaking in English and not Arabic. Though I know Arabic, I prefer to speak in English so that my players and staff understand what I am saying. May be the person who was translating made a mistake.

Are you confident about Super cup?

Karim: We will definitely try our best. We are extremely exhausted now. It is not possible for any team to do so much flying and then playing within such a short period of time. We played against Dempo on 12th, 14th we went to Delhi, 16th we played against Mahindra, 17th morning we came back, 18th we took flight for Kuwait via Dubai, 20th we reached there, 21st we played match there, 23rd evening we reach Kolkata via Dubai (spending the night there), 25th morning we are leaving for Gurgaon to play the match against Churchill on 26th. This whole schedule is difficult even for a normal person who does not have to run and play in the field for 90 minutes. Now you can imagine the condition of our players at the present moment. Hopefully, we will be able to give our best on Sunday and win Super Cup.

We heard Sangram has been selected as best goalkeeper?

Karim: Yes, I saw it in the news yesterday in Sports Planet in Zee Sports. There were 3 contenders for best coach, myself, Derek and Zoran. Sangram is chosen best goalkeeper, Gourmangi best defender. In midfield, Marcos was one of the three contenders for best midfielders, Kalu won it. Odafe got two awards, best forward and best player. Marcos was also contender for best player of I league. But again I have no official confirmation for all of this. I am telling you what I saw in TV.

Have you decided on the 18 member team for Super Cup?

Karim: Out of the 17 players who went to Kuwait (Sangram, Shilton, Rahul Kumar, Manju, Dipak, Vashan, Mohanraj, Habibur, Ishfaq, James Sr., Lalkamal, Rakesh, Lalramluah, Marcos, Barreto, Branco and Lalampuia were part of Kuwait team), Bhaichung will be included in the team and Lalampuia will be replaced by Tulunga. About goalkeeper, I have not yet decided. Sangram is slightly injured, if he does not go, Chiradeep might go in his place, will take the final decision today evening.

 

 

We also had a short telephonic interview with Sangram Mukherjee.

Congrats for becoming best goalkeeper of I league.

Sangram: Actually I also heard this news but have not got any confirmation yet. I hope it becomes true. I would be very happy. I last got this reward last 6 years back when I was in East Bengal, EB had won I league that year.

In the last match we conceded 6 goals.

Sangram: That was just an accident. Actually the penalty that we conceded in 9th minute changed the complexion of the game. After that we were completely outplayed by Kuwait SC.

Do you think Mohun Bagan will be able to win Super Cup?

Sangram: Definitely we have a big chance. Last year also we defeated Dempo and won Super Cup. This year we will have to avenge defeat against Churchill and win the trophy.

Have you decided to stay in Mohun Bagan next year?

I have not made any decision as of yet. I have offers from many clubs. I will make my decision later on. I have contract of Mohun Bagan till May 31.

INTERVIEW: Shiladitya Mitra