Kolkata: City giant Mohun Bagan haven’t lost to it’s arch rivals East Bengal in last six Kolkata Derby but 24 hours ahead of the big game the Green & Maroon coach Shankarlal Chakraborty feels that East Bengal is in better shape than them ahead of the match. Is it the mind game of Mohun Bagan coach? On being asked about the matter Shankarlal said,” There is no doubt that Johnny Acosta is a great footballer. Many people are saying that he is playing a game 1 month after World Cup. So what? Akram Moghrabi too got accustomed with the team in a limited period of time. Acosta too will do the same I believe.” In his first season for East Bengal, the midfield maestro Mahmoud Al Amna didn’t play that we’ll in the Kolkata Derby. While answering about this, the Mohun Bagan coach said,” The same thing happened to Sony Norde in his first year but in the second season he played outstanding footbal. Amna too will play well this season.
Former East Bengal gaffer Khalid Jamil didn’t win any Derby against Shankarlal Chakraborty, but Shankarlal knows that with a mass experience Bhowmick can change any match by a whisker.
Though he feels that East Bengal has three advantages in their favour, but he seperately talked with Henry Kisseka and Dipanda Dicka during the practice session and the reason is these two foreigners are the key weapons for him in attack. Though there are no injury problems in the squad but there could be a change in the playing xi for the Green & Maroon brigade. In place of Shilton d’Silva veteran Mehtab Hossain may play in this game. To stop the footballers like Kashim Aidara & Mahmoud Al Amna he needs the experience of Mehtab.
In the last season Mohun Bagan failed to win the Kolkata League just by a mergin. In the decider they drew the game despite of taking an early lead and that’s why the Green & Maroon brigade is more cautious this time. Now they want to win the Derby to take one more step to win the Calcutta League after eight long years.
