CFL Championship Round Day 1 Round-up: Mohammedan Sporting upset East Bengal
The championship round of the Calcutta Football League Premier Division kicked off on Sunday with Mohammedan Sporting recording a shock 1-0 victory over defending champions East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium.
East Bengal coach Armando Colaco fielded a weakened side as many seniors were ineligible for the opening game while only one foreigner in Nigerian Ranti Martins was available.
However the red-and-gold brigade were still expected to beat a youthful Mohammedan Sporting side that had very few players with I-League experience.
The only goal of the game came in the 26th minute when a long-range effort from Imran Khan took a deflection off Safar Sardar and went past East Bengal custodian Abhra Mondal, who produced a couple of top saves to keep the score at 1-0 going into the interval.
Colaco’s side dominated the second half but couldn’t find the equaliser. Ranti hit the post and substitute Kishan Bag also found the back of the net but was ruled offside.
Mohammedan’s goalkeeper Arnab Das Sharma also produced a great performance, making important saves in the second period in particular. The match also saw the use of the vanishing spray by the referee.
Thus East Bengal’s quest for a fifth-straight local league title got off to the worst possible start while Nigerian coach Fuga Tope guided underdogs Mohammedan Sporting to a memorable victory.
In other matches on Sunday, Army XI defeated BNR 1-0, Southern Samity played out a 2-2 draw with SAI Eastern Zone while it ended goalless between Police AC and Aryan.