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News18
31-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Durand Cup: Mohun Bagan Coach Warns, ‘Not Going To Be Easy…' Against Mohammedan
Mohun Bagan Super Giant kick off their Durand Cup campaign with Kolkata Derby against Mohammedan Sporting Club. Mohun Bagan Super Giant kick off their Durand Cup campaign underway in the 134th edition of Asia's oldest football tournament against city rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club in the second Kolkata derby of group B at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday. Unlike other Indian Super League sides, who don't exactly have top-division football to look forward to yet, Mohun Bagan have AFC Champions League 2 come September. After the impasse over participation, the Mariners joined forces recently and will be without their foreign imports along with head coach Jose Molina, who flew into the city in the early morning. Foreigners will join the squad in the second week of August, just in time for the knockouts if they qualify. In the interim, assistant coach Bastab Roy has the reins and has at his disposal a neat-full-strength Indian squad., most of whom will be available for the first game of the season. Most stars have been training for just over a week and should be ready to play some part in the game – like Ashish Rai, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Deepak Tangri, Apuia, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Anirudh Thapa, Glan Martins, and Vishal Kaith, who will donning the captain's armband, as Subhasish Bose regains match fitness. Bastab Roy, though, is not getting complacent. 'A key feature of Mohammedan SC is that they are a young team and they don't depend on any individuals and play as a team," Bastab was quoted as saying during a press conference on Wednesday. 'They have already played a game while we are going to play our first one. From that standpoint, we need to work harder to win the match. It's not going to be easy." Goalkeeper Kaith echoed his coach's sentiments, saying: 'They (Mohammedan SC) have already played, so their fitness level will be better. No, we can't take the match as an easy one." 'The Durand Cup format is such that only the group winner and two second-best teams will advance to the quarterfinals. So, one loss may jeopardise your chances," Bastab added. Mohammedan SC, meanwhile, will smarting from their 1-2 loss to lower-division side Diamond Harbour FC in their opening group game. Without any star Indian names or foreign recruits, the upcoming game may again just prove too big a challenge. The Black Panthers boss Mehrajuddin Wadoo is not too flustered but has emphasised his young side's need or resilience and teamwork. 'I'm happy with the way the young players are giving their best. Results may not be in our control. The way we conceded the goal (against DHFC) in the last minute was extremely unfortunate and luck was also not on our side. But we've to accept this and move on," Mehrajuddin was quoted as saying. 'Against Mohun Bagan, we'll try to minimise the mistakes we made (against DHFC) and give them a fight," he added. view comments Location : Kolkata, India, India First Published: July 31, 2025, 10:03 IST News sports » football Durand Cup: Mohun Bagan Coach Warns, 'Not Going To Be Easy…' Against Mohammedan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Second-string Mohun Bagan takes on Blasters; Goa clashes with Punjab
Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) will begin its quest to finish the season with a third piece of silverware when it takes on Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) in the Kalinga Super Cup quarterfinal at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday. It will be MBSG's first appearance in this edition of the Super Cup after its round-of-16 opponent, Churchill Brothers FC Goa, withdrew from the tournament. Moreover, the Mariners' squad will be notably missing the services of its six foreign players, who have been rested after a taxing season. 'This tournament we are treating as an exposure for the young guys, and find out how they can perform in the long run,' MBSG assistant coach Bastab Roy said during the pre-match press conference. On the other hand, KBFC head coach David Catala had a perfect start to his stint as his side beat defending champion East Bengal 2-0 in its opening match. However, he warned his players to focus on the game at hand instead of dreaming of a maiden trophy for the club. 'To start thinking about trophies right now is, for me, it's not right. It's not helping anyone, and we need to just focus on the task tomorrow,' Catala said. Later in the day, Manolo Marquez's hope of finishing his tenure as FC Goa coach with a trophy will face a stern challenge when his side takes on Punjab FC in the second quarterfinal. Both Goa and Punjab are coming off convincing 3-0 wins against Gokulam Kerala FC and Odisha FC, respectively. Goa is the only side remaining in the competition that can win it for a second time, having won the Cup in 2019.
