A different day & a different goal for East Bengal & Mohammedan SC
Times of India | 16 February 2025
Kolkata: The last time when they faced each other, a 9-man resolute East Bengal held Mohammedan SC to a goalless draw for their maiden point after starting the ISL 2024-25 with six straight defeats.
Having entered that Nov 9 game just days after securing their passage to the AFC Challenge League quarterfinals, East Bengal under a new coach showed promise in a brief spell thereafter but it soon proved to be a false dawn so much so that Oscar Bruzon is now feeling "ashamed" of the team's pitiable downslide.
"The process that we have been following the last few games and weeks is very far from the performance that we offer here in our last game (a 0-3 loss to Chennaiyin FC). Actually, I feel absolutely ashamed of not matching a game in terms of (our) attitude, intensity, energy and ambition," the East Bengal coach told reporters on Saturday.
"Our current situation is not about getting flowers and positive comments. We are now in a fight," he added.
With 18 points from 19 games, East Bengal's bloom is off with their playoff hopes as good as over.
It has been hardly anything to cherish for Mohammedan SC as well since that Nov 9 clash. Placed last with 11 points, the debutants have attracted headlines for all the wrong reasons with head coach Andrey Chernyshov unlikely to return from Russia and murmurs of dressing room protests over players' unpaid salary threatening to derail their campaign from time to time.
So, what does this reverse fixture at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday hold for these two teams in trouble — placed 11th and 13th on the table?
There's nothing but pride and points to play for. While East Bengal will be eyeing to go beyond their previous best points tally (24 points in the 2023-24 season), Mohammedan SC hope to avoid the wooden spoon.
"It's sad because these teams deserve to be on the top. Because they have got everything to be there. For Sporting, I can say it's okay because it's their first season and it's a learning experience for them. But for East Bengal, yes, they should do better," said assistant coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo, who is set to guide Mohammedan SC until the end of the season.
East Bengal will miss defender Lalchungnunga through suspension and Cleiton Silva through injury while Mahesh Naorem Singh and Jeakson Singh are doubtful starters. However, new Cameroonian striker Raphael Messi Bouli is likely to start with an off-form Dimitrios Diamantakos, aiming to cash in on the rivals' fragile defence.
Former India defender Mehrajuddin, who also played for both the teams, promised that it would be a "different" game from what had transpired in the first-leg fixture.
However, the absence of Uzbek midfielder Mirjalol Kasimov — who received a red card against Hyderabad FC in the last match — may further dent their search for creativity as Mehrajuddin's team looks to end a three-match losing run.