The Black and White Brigade, thus secured promotion to the Indian Super League, provided they meet the licensing criteria.

The side from Kolkata have now garnered an unassailable 52 points from 23 matches; their closest rivals, Sreenidi Deccan FC, are eight points behind with two games to play.

Alexis Nahuel Gomez scored in the very first minute for the ultimate champions, as Douglas Rosa Tardin equalised in the 15th minute for the home team. Evgenii Kozlov scored the winner for Mohammedan in the second half, to secure the title.

The equation was simple. Mohammedan Sporting needed one point to secure their maiden I-League title. But it was never going to be a walk in the park.

Shillong Lajong have had their moments this season, but are firmly rooted as a mid-table side at seventh in the I-League table with 31 points from 23 games. But their added motivation to play spoilsport against the top dogs was on ample display.

Mohammedan Sporting, for their part, did the bit that would have calmed their nerves, at least in the opening exchanges. Their Argentine forward Alexis Gomez produced a moment of magic in the first minute itself, when he spotted Lajong keeper Neitho Chalieu off his line, and chopped it goalwards from just inside the halfway mark, as the ball sailed over the goalkeeper’s head and nestled into the net.

The job seemed half done, but a lot could happen over 90 minutes, and from what ensued over the course of the rest of the first half, it was amply clear that one goal would not be enough for the Black and White Brigade.

It took Shillong just a quarter of an hour to get back into the game, a Douglas Tardin penalty making it 1-1. It would still be enough for Mohammedan.

However, their back four had their work cut out in the first half when Lajong piled the pressure on the table toppers. Tardin and Phrangki Buam, a former Mohammedan Sporting player himself, hit the woodwork.

In another blow for Mohammedan Sporting, their goalscorer Gomez hobbled off injured, only to be replaced by Kozlov.

Lajong right back Ronney Wilson Kharbudon had the perfect opportunity to put his side in the lead, when Tardin played a ball across the face of the goal, and the former only had to tap it into an empty net. The Mohammedan camp heaved a sigh of relief when he side-footed it inches wide.

Padam Chettri, Mohammedan Sporting’s goalkeeper, who has had a stellar season, pulled off a brilliant save to maintain parity just before the half-time break, as he palmed away a shot by Marcos Rudwere from point-blank range.

The home side started with the same tempo in the second half, but the table toppers managed the situation well. They stayed back and waited for the opportunity that soon presented itself.

Kozlov, who had come on as a first-half substitute, latched on to a clearance and found himself inside the box with just the keeper to beat, which he subsequently did. Finally, some breathing space for the Black and White Brigade.

Making it a collective effort by the team, the Mohammedan Sporting defenders put in an absolute shift in injury time. Joseph Adjei showed some brilliant anticipation to position himself beside keeper Chettri as Lajong’s Kynsaibor Lhud pulled the trigger. Adjei simply booted the effort away, to secure Mohammedan’s 15th win of the season.

Courtesy :- AIFF Media Team

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The striker, who parted ways with Gokulam Kerala FC recently, has penned down a short-term contract with the ‘Mumbaikars’.

He will be Kenkre’s second foreign signing for the season after Ivory Coast player Ben Ibrahim Ouattara. They had an all-Indian squad including an Indian head coach, Akhil Kothari, in the initial stages of the League

Somlaga appeared in nine games for the ‘Malabarians’ earlier this season scoring and assisting one time. After the club’s appointment of their new head coach Francesc Bonet, the youngster had to eventually leave the club as he was not in the manager’s plans.

The Cameroonian is an interesting addition to the Kenkre FC attack after having signed a striker already. Auguste is a versatile player, having the ability to play in the flanks alongside his natural position of striker. It will be interesting to see how Somlaga and Ben Ibrahim lead the line for the ‘Mumbaikars’. Both being strikers, we may see these two striking up a fire combination at the top of the Kenkre attack.

Kenkre FC has had an uneven season yet a decent start so far as they are placed 10th in the I-league table eight points above the relegation spot which is currently held by Sudeva Delhi. Not much was expected from Kenkre after the club had technically relegated from I-league last season but were granted the immunity by AIFF to continue in the league after a withdrawal of another club.

Yet with majority local resources and a shoe string budget, the club looks to be floating just about right for the season

Also Read: Goals and Drama in MFA elite division: A recap of the latest action

Also Read: MFA Elite Division resumes with a Bang: Round-up of the Latest Matches

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Besides, AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das and League CEO Mr. Sunando Dhar, Mr. Souter Vaz, Mr. Lalnghinglova Hmar, Mr. Anil Kumar, Mr. Chirag Tanna and Mr. Rochak Langer attended the meeting, while leave of absence was granted to Mr. BK Roka.

“Under the current situation it is pertinent for all stakeholders including the players to stay fit not just physically, but also stay mentally fit. Last year we organised a number of events very successfully, and this year we would really like to organise more, the pandemic situation permitting,” Mr. Dutta said in his opening address.

Mr. Dhar apprised the Committee that the Hero I-League will be played among 13 teams this season. “The format of the League will be the same as the last edition with all teams playing each other once, and then divided into two groups. While the top half vying for the Championship will comprise 7 teams, the bottom half which will be battling it out for the relegation will have 6 teams,” Mr. Dhar informed. “The number of matches will also be more this edition – a rise from 80 to 114.”

“We are looking at a tentative date of mid-December onwards for kicking-off the Hero I-League. We are in talks with the Indian Football Association (Bengal), and also the Government of West Bengal to successfully organise the League in Kolkata and its suburbs like the last edition,” Mr. Dhar mentioned.

The Committee agreed that under the circumstances, and considering the possibility of a 3rd wave, this is the best option, and approved the venue and the format.

The Committee also deliberated at length and felt that the relegation rule will be applied to the Hero I-League 2021-22 irrespective of the current situation, and there won’t be any change in the regulation once the League kicks-off.

The Committee agreed that keeping in view the circumstances and the logistical and financial feasibility, a maximum of 10 teams will be participating in the Hero I-League Qualifiers which are proposed to be held at a single venue. The Committee approved Bengaluru as the venue for the qualifiers to be held in September 2021.

State Associations are to nominate a maximum of two teams out of which one team will be selected by the League department based on sporting merit, and the club licensing criteria. The criteria for selection will be communicated.

States who have conducted a League, or have conducted a qualifying championship to nominate the teams for Qualifiers will be eligible to nominate teams for the Hero I-League Qualifiers.

Furthermore, a decision on the 2020-21 edition of the Hero Indian Women’s League which had to be postponed owing to the second wave of the pandemic will be taken soon after detailed discussions with Odisha Sports, the hosts of the final round of the HIWL.

With an Indian club set to feature in the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021 — a pilot tournament being implemented by the Asian Football Confederation — the champions of the HIWL will be granted an entry to the Championship. However, in case the HIWL cannot be held owing to the pandemic situation, the champions of the previous edition will participate in the AFC Championship.

The Committee also discussed hosting the Futsal Club Championship in October 2021 in Shillong adhering to all health parameters.

“We are also making it mandatory for all players, officials, and all operational and administrative staff across all Leagues and championships to get themselves fully vaccinated prior to the kick-off. However, we do understand that there will be players less than 18 years of age who may be participating, along with players/officials who are recovering from Covid and may not have got a chance to vaccinate themselves. In that case, all of them would be subjected to more RTPCR tests than the others,” Mr. Dhar added.

The Committee was also taken through a detailed presentation on the Golden Baby Leagues and issues of safeguarding and child protection, and about incentives to be offered to increase the participation of girl players.

CREDITS- AIFF MEDIA

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According to FIFA’s orders, the ban will be lifted only when TRAU will pay the complete fine imposed by them. This fine includes his remaining wages plus a minimal interest.

The Transfer markt stated in one of their articles that “FIFA has slapped a multi-window transfer ban on TRAU FC. They arrived at the decision after finding out that the club has not complied with their financial obligations – paying Abednego Tetteh his pending wages.”

“We also understand that FIFA have requested the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) to implement the ban on TRAU from the upcoming summer transfer window. This will render the club unable to register new player,” according to sources.

The Ghanian striker has featured in 5 games for TRAU in the 2019-20 season, after which, in January 2020, he left the side and went back to his country to play for Hearts of Oak.

This can be a big blow for TRAU, after a superb season this year in the I-League, as they had a chance to clinch their maiden I-League trophy. They missed the title and finished 3rd in the points table following their defeat against champions Gokulam Kerala FC on the final matchday. This ban can stop the Manipur side from boosting up their squad and come back stronger next year.

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THE BIG PICTURE 

AIFF alongside the FSDL refurbished the roadmap for upcoming years of Indian football in 2020. This roadmap defines the domestic structure for the next five years, where they will be merging two leagues, and help the players to play and showcase their quality in more number of matches. It states, the new league will have 20 participants.

The plan in brief:

For the 2020-21 season- Two I-League clubs to be included in ISL.

For the 2021-22 season- A new league format to be introduced, and name of the league to be changed as per AIFF.

For the 2022-23 season- The winner of the I-League will stand a chance to be promoted to the ISL with no participation fee, a basis for fulfilling sporting merit and the national club licensing criteria set out by the AIFF. There will be no relegation in the Hero ISL at this time.

For the 2023-24 season- Same as 2022-23.

For the 2024-25 season- Introduction of only one league, with promotion and relegation, and one knockout cup by AIFF.

So briefly, the ISL will become the top-tier of Indian football, and will be open for I-League winners from the 2022/23 season onwards. The AIFF will also organise one knockout tournament from the 2024-25 season.

Four clubs are being promoted (to ISL) in the next four years, which has already seen Bengal giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal switch sides in this edition.

“I consider this as a victory even at the cost of losing the AFC Champions League spot,” Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj said.

“We have been fighting for a long time for a proper roadmap of Indian football, and today we are successful. After five years, there will be one league with promotion and relegation, and that they (I-League winners) can play without franchise fee from the fourth year, it’s the most significant achievement for Indian football,” Mohun Bagan secretary Debashish Dutta quoted.

A RIGHT DECISION FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS? 

This new project can be beneficial for some but also disadvantageous for others! All these decisions were taken solely for the development and growth of Indian Football. But what if, after this, the clubs are not financially stable? How will the AIFF have an answer for this?

Now let’s see two situations, one from I-League and the other from ISL – 

The situation for Minerva Punjab got worse, as even after winning the I-League, they sold their stakes to RoundGlass. The reason Mr Bajaj stated was, “One of the main reasons behind selling Punjab FC was, of course, the AIFF. There will be no promotion and relegation in the next three seasons to play in the ISL. Even if we win the league, I believe the AFC slot will be given to an ISL club like the way it happened this time. Hence I felt it would be sensible if I invest the money on youth.” 

The other case is when The Hindu stated in one of their articles according to sources, “I think they (the league and club owners) are not happy with the proposal (relegation), so they might be pulling the AIFF to take a decision that there will not be a relegation from the ISL,” a football official said. “Nobody will want to buy a team if there is a danger of the club being relegated. If someone buys a club for Rs 200 crore and if there is a risk of relegation in the same year, who will pay such a huge amount.”

There were also speculations that the meeting held on April 30 was regarding the non-relegation of teams from ISL. Later AIFF corrected the controversy and the decision was taken to have no relegation this year in the I-League amid Covid pandemic.

 

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So, these proposed regulations of unifying the league and giving ISL the top-tier status may not be helpful to everyone. Even some players may also suffer because now there will be just one top league, and hence the platform to showcase their talent decreases. 

In India, there’s already a problem for the young players to have equal opportunity to showcase their talent, and now how will this decision help them?

Everyone in our country wants to see Football grow. The AIFF and AFC have taken this decision to secure Indian football’s future. This new format can be very beneficial for the players featuring in the new league because they get to play around 50 competitive matches each year, which will reap benefits on multiple fronts.

Another thing to focus on in our system is the grassroot development. If our grassroots is strong, the ultimate outcome is stronger, it just needs a better infrastructure and guidance. Having good experienced coaches at the start makes a big difference. But now,  with the pandemic coming in and creating huge problems for everyone for almost a year, it remains to be seen how the future of Indian football unfolds.

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Team FootballCounter went up and close with Gokulam Kerala’s Head Coach, Mr Vincenzo Annese and discussed about his love for Indian movies, time spent at Kerala, winning the I-League and much more..

Excerpts: 

What made you come to India, and how was your experience this year?  

The team called me and offered me this position to come to India. I couldn’t say no because since I was a child, my sister and I saw Indian movies and was always fascinated by the culture and mentality of Indian people. They are always friendly and understanding.

I always wanted to coach in India and be a champion here, so when this offer came, I saw the potential and was pretty excited about this. I’m pleased that I made it, and we Gokulam are the champions this year!

How were your experience with the team and Kerala’s football culture?  

It’s been fantastic; the guys they have played so well. Our start was a bit difficult in the first seven games, but they managed very well and believed in themselves. We were the only team in India who scored with ten different players, so you understand how involved the lads were, and everyone wanted to win.

Kerala has a different place for football in their hearts, and our team has many young players from Kerala; they all are exceptionally talented. We all stayed like a family, tried to keep our phones away and tried to stay together all the time because even they were away from their family.

Can you mention some things which you did differently than others that made you win the title?  

Concentrate more on Indian players. I have seen other teams and leagues who concentrate more on foreign players. I try to develop the team’s local players and give them a fair chance to prove themselves. We didn’t spend much money and believed in the squad. I think that was the key to our success!

I think Indian players have the same quality as others; they need to be appropriately developed. Believing in the local players changed the mentality of my squad. I trusted their quality, and they showed me the results. Some of my players also have the quality and talent to play in the national like I have a special player Emil Benny, who will indeed play for India someday.

One more thing I did personally was to understand the players’ mentality. I tried to stay with them and talk, ate the same food as them. In football, it’s not just about playing, and it’s also about your lifestyle, which I wanted to develop in them. I organised the lads in a professional way.

What was your main objective before the tournament started?

I wanted that people should know who we are; they should start talking about us. People should recognise who we are, what our talent is and how we score goals etc. And obviously, we as a team desired to win the trophy.

Being a coach I think about the club’s future and wish that this team will play in Asia someday, with the same players!

Some weeks ago, you commented, “I felt there is too much focus on defence and clean sheets in Indian football.” Why do you think so?  

Yeah, I think people here talk too much about clean sheets. I don’t why and how does it matter! According to me what you remember, in the end, it is the win, not the clean sheet.

I play to win those 3 points. I like to play attacking football, and that’s what my team showed. It seems crazy, but that’s how people think here. Maybe they are trying to follow England mentality, to play defensive and focus on a clean sheet. Getting the win should be the objective.

For me, 1-1 or 0-0 is also a loss, I prefer games with more goals like 4-3 or 3-2.

You have coached in many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. So what, according to you, are the aspects Indian football is lacking?  

India is a top football side for me. If we talk about leagues in Spain, Italy and England, my opinion is even when England has top teams like Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal etc, they tactically lack to Spain and Italy.

The playing style of England won’t work here in India. Still, many teams here follow the English playing style, which also includes the formation of 4-4-2. 4-4-2 doesn’t always work; that’s why we tried 3 at the back and 4-3-3. That worked very well for us, and we have results.

Do you think India needs to give more importance to grassroots football?

No, I guess India is doing good in grassroots. What India need is to focus more on local players and have experienced foreign coaches. It doesn’t matter where they are from, maybe Italy, England, Spain, France, what they should have is quality and experience. Try to develop the skills of local players that will help.

Mister Vincenzo Annese is just 36 years, but he has an experience of almost a decade where he has managed clubs like Bechem United, Ahli Al-Khaleel, PSIS Semarang, Belize, JFK Saldus. He was appointed in August, and in just a few months, he has rebuild Gokulam into a championship side. He wishes to continue with Gokulam Kerala FC and aims to win the I-League again, being the first foreign coach to do so.

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The game also marks the beginning of the second half of the top-flight football league. Both teams will play their 11th game, having completed the first round of 10 games in the 11-team league. The winner of the Hero I-League will only emerge after the completion of the second round of 10 games for each team.

Neroca seem like a formidable unit under the stewardship of Spanish coach Manuel Fraile. Also, the return of key players like Katsumi Yusa, Singham Subhash Singh and Lalit Thapa will give them a major shot in the arm.

It may be noted that their Australian medio Aryn Glen Williams, striker Felix Chidi and defenders Eduardo, Varney Kallon and Ashok Singh are in good form. It would be difficult for the Shillong youngsters to play against this bunch at home!

“We must have focus because this team is now different. Now they are trying not to get relegated, take points. We are in very good momentum now. To be honest, we must get those three points, because our next game is against Mohun Bagan again,” said Fraile who displayed cautious optimism in the pre-match press chat.

On the other hand, Shillong will try and take heart from their previous game against Neroca where they lost 1-2 after a hard-fought clash. Buam scored a wonderful goal in that game and the likes of Sheen and captain Samuel Lalmuanpuia would also aim to replicate the good form displayed then.

Coach Alsion Kharsyntiew who chose to look at the positives had this to say: “I know we have been losing all other games, but if you look at the positive side it is good development for the young players. Tomorrow is a very important match for us as we need three points. I know it is difficult against Neroca. It is a good team with good experienced players but hopefully, our players will perform tomorrow. Last year when we were here we won our three points so hope to win it this year too.”

He, however, has injury concerns with defenders Rakesh Pradhan and Aibhan missing the last game. Also, his team’s unwanted record of having conceded a whopping 30 goals (by far the highest in the league) is a stat that cannot be overlooked.

Shillong have scored 11 goals so far while Neroca have 13 — an indicator of where the game may be won or lost.

The home side are unbeaten in their last five games, while Shillong were on the receiving end of a couple of 1-6 drubbings in two of their last three games. As things stand it would be tough for Shillong to stop Neroca.

But given that they possess a fearless young attack…you never know!

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Goals from Nikhil Kadam (54‘) and Akram Moghrabi (76‘) sandwiched a strike from Osagie Monday(74‘) to secure all three points from their final outing in Goa to keep hounding Minerva Punjab FC, NEROCA FC and Kingfisher East Bengal. The result means Churchill Brothers have to win their final game against Minerva Punjab to stave off the relegation. They are in the ninth place now with seventeen points and trail Chennai City FC by 2 points.

As for Mohun Bagan, the win sees them move above East Bengal into the third spot with thirty points with one game left. Going into the game, Churchill Brothers had a forced change as injured Wayne Vaz was replaced by PM Britto. Mohun Bagan had two changes from their match against Indian Arrows at the same venue. Gurjinder Kumar who had impressed in that game was given a start in place of Ricky Lallawmawma and skipper Kinshuk Debnath was restored into the heart of the defence with Rana Gharami taken off.

With the result of the game having a major of bearing on both teams, it was Bagan who had the first sight of goal. Moghrabi tried a cheeky back-heel which didn’t come off in the 10th minute. Churchill had the bulk of possession and dominated the half but Bagan held on as first-half ended 0-0. Churchill breached the Mohun Bagan defence once in the first-half but the official cancelled the same because of a foul by Frincis on Kingshuk Debnath.

Also Read: Gaurs need a point to qualify for knockout stage

All the action was reserved for the second half. At the onset of the second half, Churchill Brothers continued from where they left. They laid siege to the Bagan defence; however, Bagan hit them on the counter and scored in the 54thminute. Dipanda Dicka was picked on the right channel with a ball from the middle. Osagia Monday tried to close him down while Eldor Hussein was caught out of position. Dicka capitalised and squared the ball to an unmarked Kadam who drilled the ball into the net.

Churchill kept fighting and they got the equaliser in the 74th minute. Alfred Fernandes made a bold tactical decision as he brought on central defender Pawan Kumar and pushed Monday into a forward position, and it paid off. Ceesay released substitute Nicholas Fernandes down the left who delivered a low cross into the box and Monday tapped it in to make it all square.

However, Bagan caught Churchill off guard to cut short their jubilation within two minutes. Following a melee inside the Churchill box, substitute SK Faiaz delivered a sumptuous ball to the far post and Lebanese striker Moghrabi headed past Kithan at the near post to make it 2-1 to keep their hunt alive.

In their final fixtures, both teams have away games with Mohun Bagan facing Gokulam FC on March 6, 2018 and Churchill Brothers playing table-toppers Minerva Punjab FC two days later.

Also Read: Minerva slips to open up I league title race once again

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Soosairaj opened the scoring as early as in the fifth minute of the match before Chencho Gyeltshen restored the parity in the 26th minute. Chennai City FC’s newly recruited Aleksander Rakic beat the offside trap on the hour-mark to get the lead once again which eventually, proved the difference between the two teams.

Kabir Thaufique continued in between the sticks for Soundararajan’s side and the Veniamin Schumeiko and Dharmaraj Ravanan were paired at the centre of the defence as expected. Skipper Soosairaj was fielded in support of Aleksander Rakic who lead the line for the Southerners.

Last game’s goalscorer Akash Sangwan secured in the starting lineup for the table-toppers. Star winger Chencho Gyeltshen had the support from William Opoku upfront as Minerva Punjab sought crucial three points which would be a massive leap towards the Hero I-League finish line.

Chennai City stunned Minerva Punjab five minutes into the match with a hammer-blow from skipper Soosairaj. Edwin Vanspaul’s cross from the right fell to the Indian midfielder inside the box and although his initial shot towards goal was kept out by Kiran Limbu, he made no mistake on his second try to give the home side an unexpected lead.

The early goal was the wake-up alarm that the Minerva players needed. Chencho Gyeltshen started getting involved in the game immediately. In the 15th minute, he nutmegged two Chennai defenders before surging into the box but Kabir was alert to rush off his line and collect the ball before the Bhutanese could get a shot away.

Also Read: Aizawl come from behind to wrap up an impressive win over Gokulam Kerala

In the 22nd minute, Kabir came up with a brilliant diving save to his right to keep out a curling free-kick effort by William Opoku that looked destined to hit the net. The much-anticipated equaliser came four minutes later when Amandeep Singh tested the Chennai backline with a long ball into the box for Chencho. The ‘Bhutanese Ronaldo’ brought the ball down with his feet before sending a powerful effort into the net to make it 1-1.

Chennai City could have dampened Minerva’s hopes a minute later when Sebastian’s through-ball reached Aleksander Rakic’s feet but the forward placed his shot inches wide of Limbu’s goal. Soosairaj’s curling free-kick was punched out by Kiran at the stroke of half-time but the scorer of the opening goal soon turned provider at the hour-mark to help Chennai City regain their lead.

The Indian midfielder’s through-ball found Rakic inside the box and the foreign forward made amends for his earlier miss by slotting the ball home. A desperate Minerva piled up the pressure in the dying stages of the match but were not able to break open a sturdy Chennai City backline who did just enough to register a full-time result that threw the title race wide open.

Chennai City leapfrog Churchill Brothers FC Goa with 19 points from 18 matches whereas the Goan outfit who’ll face Mariners tomorrow are two points shy having played as many matches fewer.

Minerva Punjab FC are still leading the race with 32 points from 17 matches but Kingfisher East Bengal, NEROCA FC and Mohun Bagan all are still very much alive on the title hunt as Hero I-League is approaching to another season when the winner will be decided not before the final day.

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As Soundararajan and his men prepare for their final league game, they face the daunting task of bringing the relentless Minerva Punjab side to a halt in their title race in order to better their own chances of escaping relegation.

“It is a challenge again for us. Tomorrow, it is our last match on our home ground. Only if we win, we can improve our reputation. We will go all out, regardless of the opponent. We have got nothing to lose,” said Chennai City head coach V Soundararajan.

Minerva Punjab are top of the league table with 32 points from 16 games. With two games left, the Hero I-League title is theirs to lose as NEROCA FC (31 points from 17 games), East Bengal (29 points from 16) and Mohun Bagan (27 points from 16) wait to pounce on any dropped points by the title favourites.

The position of their opponents in the standings has no bearing on how Minerva Punjab are preparing for the game, according to head coach Khogen Singh.

“We never underestimate the opponents. They had very good support at home in their last game. They are a good side. 90% of the football is about the mental strength. If you are mentally fit, you think ‘I can do that’. We are strengthing the players mentally.”

Chennai City are in a spot of bother at the other end of the table. Since Gokulam Kerala and Indian Arrows are free of relegation worries, Churchill Brothers are the team for the Southerners to better. Although superior head to head results give Chennai City an advantage, Soundararajan’s boys must win their last game and hope that Churchill Brothers go winless in their remaining two fixtures.

A disastrous run of eight winless games was brought to an end by Chennai City as they won 3-1 against their struggling rivals Churchill Brothers a few weeks ago. But East Bengal put Chennai to the swords and ran riot in a 7-1 thrashing in their last game to dent the confidence in the Coimbatore camp.

“Last match against East Bengal was a challenge for us. Tomorrow, it is a prestige issue. Minerva are in a better position than East Bengal,” said head coach of Chennai City Soundararajan. “Initially we started well, After that, I don’t know what happened to the team. It is a bad defeat for our team. The players also agreed with me.”

Jean-Joachim Junior needs to turn up once again, just like he did at the start of the season, to fire Chennai into a hopeful lead against Minerva. Chennai City have always tried to play an attacking game of football and it should continue against Khogen Singh’s side, against whom they will hope to score early in the game to pile up the pressure.

Defeats to giant-killers Gokulam Kerala and title rivals East Bengal caused an opening for the title race, reducing Minerva Punjab’s lead at the top. Akash Sangwan and Armand Bazie scored to help the Punjab-based side to register a strong comeback win against Aizawl in their previous game and that should act as a huge morale-booster.

Minerva Punjab’s ability to project a united front has helped them mount a serious title challenge this season. Add Bhutanese superstar Chencho Gyeltshen to the mix and they boast a talented first team lineup. “There is no difference between Indian and foreign players at Minerva Punjab. We are working and playing as a team. Chencho Gyeltshen is a talented boy. We used him in the right position. ”

An early goal for Chennai City could pave way for a shock result but Minerva Punjab will be confident of a commanding performance over ninety minutes to put one hand on the much sought out Hero I-League trophy.

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