I-League 2018/19: 3 times when Mohun Bagan was undone by poor refereeing
Mohun Bagan finally went back to winning ways after having the better of defending champions Minerva Punjab FC when the two sides locked horns in a weekday fixture. Henry Kisekka scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute to steer his team to its first victory in nearly a month. In spite of the win, Bagan’s camp will be disappointed as the margin of the goals did not reflect the true picture of the game.
Just a couple of days back, the ‘green and maroon’ brigade lost to East Bengal 2-3 in a five-goal thriller. There were a few decisions by the referee which went against Mohun Bagan and it was surprising the decisions could have easily gone the other way! Mohun Bagan was on the wrong side of the decision once again as they were denied a goal during their clash against Minerva Punjab FC on Wednesday evening in Panchkula.
Mohun Bagan sent a third letter to I-League CEO Sunando Dhar. Will the federation take note at least now?
Let us have a look at 3 times when Mohun Bagan was undone by poor refereeing:
#3 Omar's free-kick which might have crossed the line
Mohun Bagan was awarded a free kick just outside the box for an illegal challenge by Souvik Das who pulled down Henry Kisekka in the 39th minute. Egyptian winger Omar El Hussieny went ahead to take the kick. He produced a brilliant shot which was denied by the woodwork. The ball was loitering in front of the target following the rebound, Kisekka managed to push the ball towards the target, but it was cleared away by a defender although it apparently seemed that the ball crossed the goal line.
The television replay did not help either because the camera angle was such that it was hard to make out that it was a legitimate goal or not. The Bagan players shouted their hearts out but the decision was not reversed. Mohun Bagan was disallowed a goal because Dipanda Dicka was standing in an offside position, which was marginal. The benefit of the doubt could have gone in, either way, the visitors couldn’t have complained about that.
Wasting no time, Swapan Banerjee sent another letter addressed to the AIFF, urging them to take some serious actions due to repeated controversial decisions taken by the referees in two consecutive matches. Till now, no actions have been taken by the governing body, but hopefully, it will come anytime soon. Unfair decisions change the fate of a match; it should be taken care that these mistakes are eradicated in the future.