Kolkata: The fans are getting ready, so are the Red and Gold brigade. Kingfisher East Bengal is shaping up for another mouth-watering Kolkata Derby in the Hero I-League on Sunday. Khalid Jamil’s team trained at the training site of the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday with only fifteen minutes were allowed for the awaiting media.
This would be the first Kolkata Derby in the Hero I-League for not only Coach Khalid Jamil, but also for a lot of his players who will play tomorrow in the historic clash for the first time. The team started training under physical training coach Djair Miranda Garcia who will too be sitting on the opposite dugout for the first time in a Kolkata Derby.
A few days back, Mohun Bagan’s attacking midfielder Ansumana Kromah said that the East Bengal defenders are good on air but not so good on the ground. In reply former Mohun Bagan defender Eduardo, who will play the first Kolkata Derby for Esst Bengal on Sunday, replied in his usual fashion as he said, “I just wanna say that they are talking too much. If they want to do something, do that on the ground.”
Eduardo played with Sony Norde in the previous season with Sony Norde and he is playing with Mahmoud Al Amna. On being asked about the difference between the two, he replied, “They both are good and different in their styles. There should not be any comparison between the two. There won’t be any battle between Al Amna and Norde. The entire Mohun Bagan attacking force is very dangerous and it will be a good contest.”
East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar was seen having personal chats with his two foreigners Katsumi Yusa and Willis Plaza. Later, he said, “Both of them are not Manoranjan and Bhaskar in terms of the emotional aspect, but definitely very smart and know their job tomorrow.”
For the first time, East Bengal have to purchase car passes worth Rs.4000 from Mohun Bagan in the history of Kolkata derby. At the same time, Mohun Bagan have allotted as many as 5000 tickets for the Red and Gold members.