Mohammedan Sporting's tryst with destiny
Tolgay Ozbey (10) of Mohammedan Sporting with team mates after scoring goal against ONGC during the Durand Cup final
History has an uncanny way of repeating itself. Twenty six years ago, Mohammedan Sporting won the Rovers Cup on 7th December 1987, beating Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the final. A day later on 8th December 1987, they flew back to play their IFA Shield group League match returning straight from Bombay to the Salt Lake stadium. Mohammedan Sporting lost to South 24 Parganas 1-2 and to Port Trust on 9th December 1987, and got eliminated from the IFA Shield as a result of fixture congestion.
Twenty six years later, their supporters and officials were jubilant as they won the Durand tournament on 19th September after a lapse of 73 years. But the victory and the flight from Delhi to Kolkata took its toll. Two days later, they started their I–League campaign on a dismal note, losing their home match 1-3 to Pune FC. It is not just the loss; the pressure of playing two mentally demanding matches and travelling from one city to another has taken a toll on the players.
In the Durand final, ace defender 34-year-old Luciano Sabrosa fell awkwardly in the closing minutes of the game, damaged his forearm and could be out of action for a month. The Brazilian is the mainstay and guiding force of Mohammedan Sporting’s defence and his absence will be sorely felt. A knock-out cup final is always a game of great intensity and the Durand final also had its share of excessive body play.
Winning the Durand trophy was no doubt a great morale booster for the club and revived the interest of their numerous fans, but at what cost? It must be seen as a Pyrrhic victory as the absence of Sabrosa due to injury could cost the club many points in the ongoing 7th I-League.
To add to their woes hyperactive, attacking midfielder Penn Orji, limped off in the opening I-League home match, which Mohammedan Sporting lost 1-3 to Pune FC. The Kolkata club will hope that Orji recovers soon; otherwise they will be without two key players in their opening I-League matches. The club management must now be pondering whether it was the right decision to send the team to the Durand tournament, just days before the start of the country’s premier competition, the I-League.
Pune FC is having the last laugh. They sent a depleted squad to the 126th Durand tournament, without any of their foreign players. Consisting mostly of junior players, they lost 0-2 to Army Red and 1-2 to ONGC in their group IV quarter final league games. However, their main team is fresh and injury free for the vital I-League matches.
In the long run, Pune FC was more professional in their approach to these two tournaments. It also shows why Kolkata teams have not won the I-League (earlier known as the National football league) since 2004 as they attempt to over-reach. In the build up to their I-League opener on September 21, Mohammedan Sporting played six matches in 11 days, two Kolkata league and four Durand tournament games. Even though they rotated players from their squad, this is not an ideal build-up for a marathon tournament like the I-league.
But Mohammedan Sporting’s management is not entirely to blame. Their predicament along with the other two Kolkata clubs is much more deep-rooted. They, along with Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, are the only supporter based clubs in the country, so their fans demand trophies.