Mohammedan SC poised for a strong start in I-League 2nd Division Final Round

Mohammedan team training at the club ground. Image Source: File Pic
Mohammedan team training at the club ground. Image Source: File Pic

Kolkata: Mohammedan Sporting begin their campaign in the second division league final round match against foreigner less Lonestar Kashmir FC on Sunday at Mohammedan Sporting ground. On the other hand, Mohammedan will be fielding all of their 3 foreigners.

Mohammedan Sporting who finished the initial round atop, are heading into the final round on the back of six weeks of hard training, started from February 15 and during the period the team have played a handful of friendly matches against local oppositions. Mohammedan Sporting, have added as many as eleven new faces to the squad that clinched the Eastern Conference couple of months back.

South Sudan international James Moga has come in place of Kareem Omolaja Nurain while Zimbabwean forward Simbarashe Gate and Ivorian defender Lancine Toure has replaced Taurus Manneh and Kazeem Amobi respectively, with the additions of Manish Maithani, Karma Tsewang, Nagen Tamang, Poibiang Pohshna, Dipendu Dowary, Antoni Soren and Sheikh Faiz. The club has also acquired the services of multiple time I-League winning custodian Abhijit Mondal.

On the other hand, the visitors come into the final round with an almost unchanged squad that featured in the initinal round and will be heavily banking on the strike-pair of Farukh Choudhary (4 goals) and Atinder Mani (4 goals) to fire up front. The pair has scored eight out of Kashmir FC’s ten goals in the initial round and will provide a stiff challenge for the Mohammedan defense. Furthermore, the likes of Adil Khan, Gagandeep Singh and skipper Kamaljeet Kumar will also form an important part of the side.

The last time both sides faced off it was Mohammedan Sporting  who came out on top with a 2-1 win over Kashmir FC at Golaghat (Assam), something the Black and Whites will look to replicate a year later.