Kolkata : Kingfisher East Bengal will strive hard to garner points in their opening fixture against Sporting Clube de Goa . The Red and Golds would also want to break their Sporting Clube de Goa jinx in the opening match of the I League. Both these teams earlier clashes in I League have remained indecisive.The teams will go head to head at Fatorda,Margao on January 10 . Kingfisher East Bengal , who created a record of sorts by winning the CFL six times in a row earlier in the season , would look to replicate the form in I League . The Red and Golds also emerged as the Runners Up in the Sheikh Kamal Gold Cup at Chittagong.The team has been strengthened by the inclusion of Rehenesh TP,Sanju Pradhan and Sehnaj Singh. But the fourth foreigner has been a concerning factor for the Kolkata outfit , as they are yet to sign any one . Chennaiyin FC defender Bernard Mendy is believed to be in talks with the club . According to media reports , Mendy have already striked a deal with Kingfisher East Bengal . East Bengal have to rely heavily on Ranty Martins up front along with Korean sensation Do Dong Hyun , while experienced Bello Rassaq will marshall the defence . There are some injury concerns for coach Biswajit Bhattacharya as Indian defender Arnab Mondal is still nursing an injury he sustained during SAFF Cup . Captain Gurwinder Singh , Cavin Lobo have not accompanied the team to Goa due to injuries .
East Bengal’s opponents on Sunday are the current champions of Goa Pro League.The team coached by Clfford Chukuwuma have some big names in their ranks . Nigerian goal machine Odafa Okolie and defender Loveday Okechukwu , Trinad & Tobago midfielder Densill Theobald and Syrian midfielder Mahmoud Amnah are the four foreigners signed by Sporting this season . The Goan champions also have in their ranks Victorino Fernandes , Rowlin Borges , Arindam Bhattacharya and Dharmaraj Ravanan . Sporting , who struggled to save relegation last season , will look forward to putting up a good show this season .
In their last two meetings , both teams failed to break the deadlock . Ranty Martins scoring in both the encounters .
The match will also generate an added interest as two of the two leading scorers of the League – Ranty Martins with 202 goals and Odafa Okolie with173 goals will look to score over each other .