Pictures by Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency:
Mohun Bagan 3(Sahal-2, Sayan) Mohammedan 2(Lalremsanga, Mahitosh-penalty)
Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: Mohun Bagan last won the Kolkata Football League in 2018. Then again, Mohun Bagan Super Giants won the Kolkata League title by defeating Mohammedan 3-2 in a thrilling Super Six match at the Barasat Stadium on Saturday. It would not be wrong to call it a thriller. Even though the name has changed to Mohun Bagan Super Giants, the team's jersey color is green maroon. The color of the fans' hearts is green maroon. So what does the name matter? The real thing is the fighting spirit and character. After goalkeeper Deeprabhat was shown a red card in the 58th minute, Mohun Bagan's 32 minutes of regulation time and 6 minutes of stoppage time, that is, 38 minutes of 10-man play, despite falling behind on a penalty goal, winning the match 3-2, is undoubtedly an achievement. This is Mohun Bagan's 31st Kolkata League title. This is Mohun Bagan's first trophy at home this season, with 7 points from 3 matches of the Super Six. Both teams needed to win the match to pocket the league title. Without depending on the results of the other two matches. And keeping that in mind, Mohun Bagan Super Giant coach Prabhu Roy and Mohammedan coach Shahin Raman prepared the team.
Mohun Bagan does not have any trophies at home this season. East Bengal has already won the Durand Cup there. In the AFC Champions League Tier Two, they drew a respectable match with Jordan's Al Hussein. After defeating Al Arabi in the playoff match at home and advancing to the main stage, Mohun Bagan was held by East Bengal's Bengali Brigade in the Kolkata League derby despite playing a bunch of senior footballers from the ISL. The match ended in a draw. Naturally, it was not difficult to understand that Mohun Bagan would be desperate to become the champion in the domestic league. And that is why in the must-win match against Mohammedan, Sabuj Maroon coach Prabhu Roy did not hesitate to bring 7 regular ISL players into the starting eleven. Prabhu added a new addition to the 4-2-3-1 formation. This is his first appearance in the green maroon jersey in the Kolkata League. It was known that Mohammedan would not miss the opportunity to win the league. The white and black brigade had increased their confidence by defeating Bhavanipur in the first match in the Super Six. Mohammedan then stopped East Bengal by relying on that. As that match was a draw, Mohammedan footballers took to the field at Barasat Stadium on Saturday with extra enthusiasm against Mohun Bagan. Before the encounter, the two teams had equal points (4 points). Mohammedan coach Shahid Raman also knew that if they want to win the match, they will suffer if they play overly defensive football against Mohun Bagan. Therefore, he fielded a balanced team with a combination of attack and defense in a 4-1-4-1 formation. As a result, the opponent Mohun Bagan could not sit on their necks with a one-sided advantage in the first half. There was a joie among the Mohammedan footballers, who were relegated from the ISL. They chose the stage of the Kolkata Football League to prove themselves. Up until a time, Mohammedan footballers fought on equal terms. In other words, they dominated Mohun Bagan for a long time. Mohun Bagan, realizing that the match was getting out of hand, burned towards the end. The green maroons benefited from it.
The first goal opportunity came in front of Mohun Bagan. In the 9th minute, when Sahal received the ball inside the box in the minus of Kian and took a shot, Mohammedan goalkeeper Nikhil jumped to the left and caught the ball and prevented a certain fall. However, Mohammedan goalkeeper Nikhil could not prevent Mohun Bagan from going ahead with a goal in the 26th minute. When Manbir's extended pass went to Changt in the middle of the box, he gently lobbed a ball in front of the second post. Sahal Abdul Samad was standing there. When he headed the ball, the ball hit the goalkeeper's hand and got stuck in the net.
However, Mohammedan did not give up the fight after scoring a goal. Lalthankima, Lalremsanga and Israfil of the white and black brigade were embarrassing the Mohun Bagan defense players by repeatedly launching attacks. In the 40th minute, Bagan goalkeeper Deeprabhat saved the team from conceding a goal by swatting away Israfil's shot from the box. But 2 minutes later, Lalremsanga equalized for Mohammedan by scoring. Lalthankima pulled the ball from the midfield and, climbing over the double defensive screen of the green and maroons, made a spectacular through pass through the gap in the Mohun Bagan defense. When Lalremsanga caught the ball on the right side of the box, there was no one among the Bagan defenders to stop him. Lalremsanga coolly sent the ball past goalkeeper Deeprabhat and into the net.
Bagan coach Prabhu made a change in the second half. He brought in Deepak Tangri and replaced Abhishek Suryavanshi. Mohammedan maintained the same attacking pressure in the second half as in the first half. That's why goalkeeper Deeprabhat made a fatal mistake in the 58th minute and sank Mohun Bagan. When the Mohammedan goalkeeper's long kick went over the Mohun Bagan midfield and defense footballers, Lalremsanga was not in his place to take possession of the ball, Bagan goalkeeper Deeprabhat made a foul to save the goal in the middle of the penalty box. When Deeprabhat grabbed Lalrem and threw him into the box, the referee gave a penalty in favor of Mohammedan. At the same time, Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Deeprabhat was shown a red card and sent off the field.
Mohun Bagan coach had no other option but to put a forward footballer and bring in a new goalkeeper. After 60 minutes, he took off Changte and brought goalkeeper Zahid. At the same time, he brought Sayan Banerjee on the field in place of Kian. Mahitosh scored a penalty in the 62nd minute to give Mohammedan the lead. Many thought Mohammedan had already won the league, leading 2-1.
But there was still a lot of drama left in the match. Even though they were down to 10 men, Mohun Bagan footballers did not give up on winning the match. Mohun Bagan equalized in the 69th minute with a goal by the best of the match Sahal. When Rabilal Mandi's ball was picked up on the right side of the box, Manbir headed it in front of Sahal, who headed it into the net. However, even though it was 2-2, the green and maroons were not at ease. Because if the match was drawn, it would not have been possible for Mohun Bagan to become champions. Because the news that East Bengal had met the 5-goal requirement against Coal India at their own ground did not take long to reach Barasat.
If Mohun Bagan had not won the match in the end, and the match had ended 2-2, then East Bengal would have won due to being in a better position on goal difference. But Mohun Bagan ended East Bengal's dream of winning the league and became champions themselves by scoring the winning goal in the 73rd minute. Playing a wall pass with Sahal, Sayan caught the ball in the middle of the box and sent it past Mohammedan goalkeeper Nikhil Dekar with a corner shot (3-2). Sayan was the main role behind East Bengal becoming the champion of the Kolkata League at the Kalyani ground last season, and on Saturday, he made Mohun Bagan, who had become 10 men in green and maroon jerseys, the champion with the winning goal at the Barasat ground.
Mohun Bagan: Deeprabhat, Raj, Beke, Subhasish, Ravi Lal, Tangri (Suryavanshi), Sandeep, Kian (Sion), Sahal (Suhel), Chante (Zahid), Manbir (Alex).
Mohammedan: Nikhil, Hira (Akash), Dinesh, Rahul, Jewel, Arpit, Lalremsanga (Addison), Mahitosh, Tangbha (Lalangshaka), Israfil, Lalthankima.