Gangtok: Mohammedan Sporting Club vying to clinch their first silverware of the season will face Jhapa XI Nepal in the grand finale of the 36th All India Governor’s Gold Cup tomorrow.
The Kolkata giants is in the final of the competition after 25 years while Jhapa XI made it to the summit in its maiden attempt.
The Black Panthers beat the local champions Sikkim Aakraman FC 3-1 in the pre-summit clash. Jhapa XI, on the other hand, edged past Gangtok Himalayan SC courtesy a injury time winner which came in a controversial manner.
Heading into the finale, Mohammedan SC will rely on Manvir Singh for goals upfront while the likes of Sheikh Faiaz, Rooney Eva and Kunal Ghosh will provide support from midfield. Skipper Rana Gharami would pair Sourav Chakraborty in defense.
However, Mohammedan SC will miss the services of left-back Pranit Lama due to double booking while coach Zaheer Abbas Hamza is also unavailable after he was sent off in the semifinal.
“We are confident about our team. Boys put up a brilliant performance throughout the campaign and we want to continue the good work in the final and finish the champions after 36-long years,” senior footballer and Club’s Senior Vice President Dipendu Biswas said on the eve of the clash.
Meanwhile, Mohammedan SC were denied to train at the match venue prior to the match by organisers therefore the team jogged to the nearby Shanti View Point for a recovery session after playing the semifinal yesterday.
Last time Mohammedan SC won the Governor’s Gold Cup in 1980 beating Rajasthan Club in the final.
The match at Paljor Stadium kicks off at 1.30 PM on Thursday.