Bagan bang 9 goals in practice match!

Mohun Bagan today played a practice match at the club ground just to warm them up for the Churchill match that is this weekend. Bagan banged in 9 goals against a lowly Budge Budge Academy and Lalampuia, who had been out of action for a few weeks nursing an injury scored a hat trick. With Barreto sitting out the Churchill match owing to double booking, Lalampuia will have to accompany the Indian Ronaldo, Bhaichung Bhutia upfront.

Among the goal scorers were Dipak, Lalkamal, Bhaichung, Kisku, each scoring a piece and Masih a brace, topped by Lalampuia with a hat trick.

Final score read 9-0.

Team: Shilton, Karan Atwal, Manju, Dipak, Mohanraj, Lalkamal, Marcos, Mesih, Rahul Kumar, Baichung, Lalampuia

A defiant 10-men Bagan side edge past Dempo!

Bagan registered their first win in the 08-09 edition of the I League and the victory came as a pain killer for the Bagan fans as the first full three points came against one of the better teams of the Indian League, Dempo Sports Club, Goa. Certainly this victory will be cherished by the Green and Maroon brigade as this is not only the first victory after the things had started going wrong after the CFL triumph, but this also has come from an away match and even so from Goa.

Karim Bencharifa, after the Derby draw had expressed his apprehensions about the future of his team in the I league which will become more competitive as the league progresses. It was important for Bagan to win this match just to keep the hopes living.

Bagan went into this match with the famous duo of Barreto-Bhaichung upfront but with a suspect defense Karim had to pin his hopes to the two best players in India, Barreto and Bhaichung.

The match started off with Bagan playing a "wait and watch" game and slowly tried to gain control and just then the Bagan defense received a jolt. In the 33rd minute of the match Anand Vasan received the second yellow of the match and was sent off. Bagan reduced to 10 men against Dempo in Goa. A difficult proposition...

Dempo as expected stepped on the gas and tried to play the pressure game and waited for the Bagan defense to commit the error. But Bagan defense did not crumble under pressure and Dipak seemed quite impressive in the back.

With the beginning of the second half, Bhaichung Bhutia was pulled down inside the penalty box and the referee pointed to the spot. Barreto stepped up and converted from the spot and put Bagan in the lead.

10 men Bagan had to put up a valiant battle against a Dempo side starring Ranty Martins, Beto, Steven Dias and other players of repute.

However, Dempo failed to force the issue and Bagan defense neither gave them the chance and Mohun Bagan went on to registered their first win in this edition of I league riding the sole goal from Barreto.

Barreto to miss Churchill match!

Mohun Bagan will however, miss the invalueable services of the Bagan Ace, Jose Ramirez Barreto in the next match against Churchill on the 9th of November following a double booking. He had already received a caution against Mohd. Sporting and today he received another yellow card.

Anand Vasan and Barreto will have to sit out in the match against Churchill Brothers who will play their away match in Salt Lake Stadium.

Mohun Bagan general election on 2nd November!

The Mohun Bagan General Election which had been scheduled for November the 2nd is to be held at the Club Premises on that day!

Bagan fail to hold early lead! Derby ends in 1-1 draw!

There could not have been a better occasion for Karim's boys' to make a start afresh in the 2008 I League than by winning the Calcutta Derby on Saturday and the stage was set as the veteran India and Bagan captain, Bhaichung Bhutia made his return sound loud in the 2nd minute of the match with a goal! If only, Bagan defense could have defended the goal...

Barely a minute had passed when Ishfaq made a cutting run through the left and made a short centre which Bhaichung receiving acrobatically evaded two East Bengal defenders and then squeezed in a bullet through Subrata Pal's legs. Bagan were up 1-0!

The slushy condition made playing football a tough job as both the teams tried hard to make any headway. Bagan defense with Habibur back in the side seemed confident and with Barreto and Bhaichung upfront with Ishfaq making cutting runs into the East Bengal defense seemed good enough for Bagan, until Marcos spilled the beans and gifted Yakubu with a ball inside the Bagan half. Yakubu made some progress with the ball and sent in a through to Syed Rahim Nabi and Nabi placed the equaliser for East Bengal past Shilton as Bagan defense stood ball watching.

The equaliser came late in the half and till the end of the first half, it was 1-1.

With the beginning of the second half, Shilton was replaced by Sangram and the most interesting incident of the half followed just minutes later as Rakesh Masih flew in with a sliding tackle on East Bengal side back Surkumar. Surkumar retaliated with a foot-stab on Rakesh and then followed it with a punch that threw Bhaichung down who had come to cool his temper. Surkumar received the marching order from the Referee and the East Bengal goalie Subrata Pal ensured a booking for himself as he kept spitting insults at the referee. Except this incident there is hardly anything to talk about that happened in the second half.

What would hurt Karim and the Bagan fans is that Mohun Bagan failed to capitalise and force the issue against a ten men East Bengal side. Mohun Bagan surprisingly came up with very ordinary display of football in the second half and did not seem to threaten Subrata Pal, who however, could have received another yellow card for his excessive time wasting tactics.

The team seemed to lack the drive even after going 5 matches without a win and Karim will be having his handful for the rest of the I League handling pressure from both ends.

Marcos signs for Bagan, finally!

The ice between JCT and Mohun Bagan over the Marcos issue has finally been broken and JCT has released Marcos, realising that he had no intentions of going back to JCT. However such release came only after much pressure and counter pressure from both the sides and in the process JCT have successfully denied Marcos's services to Bagan as the third foreigner for the first four matches. Bagan had to pay a sum of money as Transfer fee to JCT.

However, Marcos Perriera has officially signed for Mohun Bagan as the third foreigner and will feature against East Bengal FC in the coming derby.

Barreto fights a lone battle!

Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting — the top two from the Calcutta league — played out a 1-1 draw at the Salt Lake Stadium in their I-League encounter on Sunday. The result leaves both sides on two points from four matches — just above bottom placed Vasco SC in the league standings. Saddled with injuries both Shabbir Ali and Karim Bencharifa were forced to field makeshift sides. The patchwork Mohammedan Sporting defence saw the on-loan pair from Peerless, Madhab Das and Anit Ghosh in central positions and Gurpreet Singh and Bijoy Das as the side backs. At the other end, Deepak Mondal slotted in the unusual role of right back, with Peter Odafe and Anand Vasan playing in the heart of defence. Bencharifa kept his faith on the low on confidence Mohan Raj at the left back position. When the Bagan defence was breached first, three minutes from kick-off , most interpreted it as an early sign for a blockbuster Sunday. It was the brilliant Theodore Sunday who created the goal for young Goutam Thakur. The Liberian intercepted a through ball from Mike Okoro and skipped past Peter Odafe’s challenge. He then somehow managed to keep his balance as custodian Shilton Paul charged forward. After rounding the keeper, Sunday showed his acumen as a clever cutback to Thakur, 10 yards from the goal left the youngster with little to do. Bagan were down by a goal, before they realised what hit them. What followed next was a fierce onslaught from the green and maroon brigade. Barreto came close twice with headers going wide off Mohan Raj’s long throws. The bumbling pair of Madhab and Anit lived dangerously before succumbing in the 23rd minute. Malswamtluanga’s low cross from the outside right wasn’t cut out by Anit and Bijoy and it landed at Jose Ramirez Barreto’s feet on the bounce. The Brazilian then rolled back the years — first teeing it up with a single touch and then volleying home, while falling backwards. 1-1 and a thrilling showdown was on the cards. Sunday and Rakesh Masih came close with efforts on target before the interval. The second half saw Mohammedan Sporting get off the blocks quicker. Sunday who despite carrying an injury showed his class time and again with sharp turns and silken control, came close in the 63rd minute. Shilton was stretched to parry out the striker’s crack on goal after he controlled Gurpreet’s pass perfectly. Thakur had a chance to win it for his side, but he headed over the crosspiece when instead he had to nod it in from point blank in the 70th minute. The reply from Bagan never quite came, as the game disintegrated steadily in the last quarter. The mindless action on the pitch, similar to an average pinball game saw aimless kicks and misdirected passes before the referee blew for time. TEAMS Mohun Bagan: Shilton Paul, Deepak Mondal, Peter Odafe, Anand Vasan, Mohan Raj, S. Malswamtluanga(Tapan Maity, 78’), L. James Singh(Henry Gangte, 65’), Rakesh Masih, Lalkamal Bhowmick(Kartick Kisku, 85’), Ishfaq Ahmed, Jose Ramirez Barreto

JCT softens on Marcos issue!

After Bagan officials had reffered the Marcos lien issue to the AIFF Player Status Committe, the facts came out and it was found that Marcos is actually not registered with JCT, but he was registered under the Punjab Football Association. Bagan officials with the help of Kuljit Singh, a Punjab Police high Official, were trying to make Marcos register under a Punjab club and hen take him in lien.

However, the latest development on this issue as received today is that, JCT will ease any transfer problems regarding Marcos, provided Mohun Bagan meet a few of their monetary demands. What seemed like Mohun agan would not be able to avail the services of Marcos till December, it is most likely that the issue will be solved in the next two to three days and that would make Marcos available to Bagan before the derby match, if not against Mohammedan Sp.

Sporting Clube stun Bagan!

Sporting Clube de Goa scored a goal in each half to down depleted Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the third round of the ONGC I-League, played at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda. The winners, who led 1-0 at half time, scored through an own goal (25th) and substitute Nathaniel Amos (47th). The win, their third in a row, took Sporting Clube de Goa to the top of the table with nine points from three matches. Bagan, who suffered their second defeat, have one point from three matches. The Sporting Clube de Goa midfield combined well, having the lion’s share of ball possession. Joseph Pereira and Harmanjot Khabra stitched some nice moves as Sporting built most of their moves on the left to keep their rival defence under pressure. Sporting surged ahead in the 25th minute through Wilton Gomes. Joseph, who kept the rival defence guessing with deceptive crosses, sent a measured cross to medio Wilton Gomes, who headed the ball towards the goal. Bagan defender Mohan Raj shot the ball into his own goal trying to make a clearance, making it 1-0. Bagan lacked the penetration to trouble the rival defence. However, they did manage to create some scoring chances. Jose Ramirez Baretto, who played as the lone striker, was fed with long balls by Lalkamal Bhowmick. The wily striker did get away from his marker on a couple of occasion to create chances for Ishfaq Ahmed and Malsawmtluanga, who failed to capitalise on the chances. Sporting continued to enjoy the upper hand in the second half and increased the lead in the 47th minute through their new Nigerian recruit Nathaniel Amos, who came in place of Joychandra Singh late in the first half.

Branco's equaliser save Bagan from blushes!

Branco Cardozo, was brought in as a late substitute by Karim, when Mohun Bagan was trailing Air India by one goal, and the promising young Bagan striker did not disappoint the Bagan fans as he managed to score the equaliser and give Bagan a point.

The match started off with Bagan pouncing on the Air India defense bringing up waves of attack one after the other. Ishfaq Ahmed, continued his brilliant form and along with Lalkamal Bhowmick, the duo effected some commendable attacks. With the properly orchestrated attack from Lalkamal and Ishfaq, the Air India custodian had a tough time under the bar and did his best to deny Bagan from scoring. However, just before the half time, Bagan conceded a goal against the run of play.

In the second half, Mama was introduced to revitalise the right flank but to no avail. However, Lalampuia, finally found a free ball, directed by Barreto and made his way into the box and it was quite unselfish of him, when he pushed the ball across the goal to Branco who was free and he pounced on the occasion and converted it into a goal.

Karim after the match, confessed that the Bagan team has not been performing upto its true potential and its not an easy job for him to make a young team work like magic and said time is the essence. The young brigade has been finding it hard to cope up with the pressure of the Calcutta crowd and Karim is trying his best to make things work.

Injury worry trouble Karim!

Mohun Bagan's injury list just got more populated! As it is, Dipak Mondal, Habibur Rahman Mondal, Sangram Mukherjee were out with injury, now India and Mohun Bagan Captain Bhaichung Bhutia is to sit out for the coming two matches. Doctor has advised him not to take to the field for at least 3 weeks

Mumbai Fc make Bagan pay for missed chances!

When the oldest club of the country met the nascent Mumbai FC, in the I league opener for Mohun Bagan, the newly formed club had some tricks up its sleeve to deceive the wiser club and run away with three points from their away match. The Match was played in an utterly unplayable condition at the Barasat Stadium, with the rain pouring continuously before the match and through out. The field, by the end of the match had turned into a muddy pond, with players fresh with a mud bath. However, the match was nothing shocker for the Bagan fans, as the Mumbai FC side hit the ground running and caught Karim's Boys lagging in speed and effectiveness. The absence of a creative midfielder could be felt as Ishfaq was the lone man taking the game opponent. Bhaichung missed a easy chance created by Ishfaq at the very beginning and on the other side, Shilton, who was trusted under the Bagan bar after almost a better part of a year, came up with a twin save. But not long could Bagan defense hold back Hammond as he picked up a back pass from Odafe and beating Manju he took a scorching volley. Minutes later a movement from the right saw Koluthungan scoring for Mumbai FC off a diving header. There was not much in the remaining of the half. The second half saw Bagan despearate to score but as the midfield failed to gain control it became very difficult. Karim brought on Lalwampuia on for Mama and it was Puia, who scored the solitary goal for Bagan. After taking an in-step, out-step and again an in-step, he drove the ball past the Mumbai FC custodian, Kalyan Choubey! Bhaichung again missed a open net header and not to mention the time his shot hit the upright and rolled teasingly over the goal-line before being cleared by a Mumbai Fc defender. Team: Shilton, Odafe, Manju, Dipak, Rino Antao(Mohunraj), Jr. James, Rakesh, Ishfaq, Tulunga(Lalawmpuia),

Mohun Bagan officials meet Tottenham Hotspur!

Academy Marketing Director Mrs. Sohini Mitra Chaubey had a meeting with Executive Director (Paul Barber) and Head of International Development (Fran Jones) of Tottenham Hotspur. The main agenda of the meeting was youth developement. Tottenham officials were happy to see the infrastructure and enthusiasm of Mohun Bagan towards youth development. Sohini informed them about the recent success of U-12 team in Paris and Under-19 league in Jamshedpur. The meeting was quite successful. Details will be disclosed later in a press meet. Further talks will be held between the two sides later on. Read More Source: Mohun Bagan.com

Bagan to miss Marcos against Mumbai FC! Mohun Bagan ties up with Suvidhaa!

Mohun Bagan were unable to ensure Brazilian Marcos Pereira’s service as the tussle with JCT over his lien continues.

JCT coach, Sukhwinder Singh had earlier agreed to grant Marcos's lien to Bagan, as soon as the Brazilian referred to JCT by Marcos would arrive. But now Mr. Sukhwinder Singh seems to be singing a different song. Now he demands that only if the foreigner seems good enough to him, he will clear Marcos for Bagan. Karim Bencharifa said his team had enough firepower to overcome the absence of a third foreigner during the early part of the league. Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan announced a pact with multiple service providers Suvidhaa for I-League ticket distribution. Fans will be able to buy I-League tickets for Bagan’s matches from Suvidhaa’s various outlets across the city. Mohun Bagan is the only club from Kolkata, of the three others, Mohammedan Sp., East Bengal and Chirag Utd. to have accepted the AIFF's invitation to sell the I league tickets. The other club's were simply incapable to manage and organise any such operations.

Mumbai FC ready to give Bagan a run for their money!

Mumbai FC coach David Booth is all geared up for the upcoming I-League and doesn’t feel that his side would start their campaign as underdogs against Mohun Bagan at Barasat Stadium on September 27.

The Bagan upfront has the likes of Baichung Bhutia, Jose Barreto and PC Lalawmpuia — a combination that can give sleepless nights to any coach. Booth, however, appears unperturbed. Rather, he is a tad apprehensive about whether his young boys would be able to produce their best in front of a packed house that would go ga-ga to see a Bagan win.

“I’m only thinking about whether the youngsters would be able to handle the pressure. It’s not easy to play in front of thousands of partisan fans. If they don’t choke, they would give Bagan a run for their money,” Booth said.

“I’m not really worried about Bagan’s strengths. They have quality players, but my job is to help the boys perform to their potential,” he added.

The British coach is not really happy with the fitness level of his players. According to him, that was the reason why the team couldn’t put up a decent performance in the Durand Cup and was eliminated in the quarterfinals. “Personally, I didn’t want to participate in the Durand Cup. Instead, my idea was to go for an intensive training programme. But we had to participate (in the Durand Cup). So, I chose a line-up comprising basically the juniors. “I’m not too unhappy with their performance, though there’s always room for improvement, especially on fitness count. We have been working to improve their fitness level,” Booth observed.

As for the I-league, the new Ghanaian recruit Abel Hammond, fresh from his stint with the Italian third division club Brescia FC, is going to be his trump card. “Given a choice between Barreto, Yakubu and Hammond, I would choose the latter,” Booth said. Hammond didn’t play in the Durand Cup. But his performance in warm-up matches, have impressed one and all. Said midfielder Noel Wilson: “I don’t want to say much at this moment. If Hammond stays fit, he will set the I-League on fire.” The Ghanaian would be paired up with Nigerian Felix upfront. The latter has also impressed his coach with his showings in the I-League qualifiers and the Durand Cup.

In Kalyan Chowbe, Noel Wilson and Sanjoy Parte team has experience. Booth wants a perfect blend of experience and youth which, according to him, would be the key to success.

It would be baptism by fire for Mumbai FC who are playing the I-League for the first time. For a newcomer, to bump into four toughest teams of the tournament in first four matches is certainly not a very welcoming prospect. Coach, however, keeps his fingers crossed. “Our first four games are against Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mahindra United and Dempo SC. The outcome of these matches would decide our fate in the I-League,” Booth concluded.

The Bagan immortal XI of 1911 restored!

Through a colorful ceremony at Mohun Bagan Lane, the fiber statues of immortal – 11 of 1911 IFA Shield winning team of Mohun Bagan have been restored today. These statues have been restored at the place from where our beloved club Mohun Bagan started its first journey. The sole credit for this noble effort goes to the local counselor Mr. Atin Ghosh who is also a hard core Mohun Bagan supporter. The programme started sharp at 5 .30 PM. All the area was flooded with the green and maroon colour. The lanes were decorated brilliantly with green and maroon flags and lights. There was a huge gathering regarding this event. Mr. Chuni Goswami, Mr. P.K.Banerjee, number of Mohun Bagan Officials like Swadhin Mallick, Radheshyam Agarwal, Kasinath Shaw,Arup Biswas, the renowed writer Mr. Shibram Kumar, football commentator Mr. Jayanta Chakraborty were there as the honourable guests. Along with them, the ex-chairman of Calcutta Minicipality, Mr. Kamal Basu who is also the descendent of Basu Family and Mrs. Gouri Bhaduri, granddaughter of Shibdas Bhaduri also ornamented the dais. Mr. Mintu Pal, artist from Kumratuli has sculptured these statues. With the starting of the programme, Mr. Atin Ghosh felicitated the guests and then Mr. Chuni Goswami, Mr. P.K.Banerjee, Mr. Kamal Basu, Mr. Shibram Kumar delivered some speeches regarding this historical achievement and its important on those days socio-political condition. On the final hour of this event, Mr. Chuni Goswami along with Mr. P.K.Banerjee unveiled the statue in the midst of huge applause.Sabuj Maroon Swapno is really thankful to Mr. Atin Ghosh for his kind invitation to SMS for this event and also for his brilliant eulogistic effort. Source: Sabuj Maroon Swapno.com

Team Mohun Bagan check in at the ITC Sonar Bangla!

After Bagan went to Jamsedhpur for their seven Residential Camp before the I league, and had to come back due to lack of accommodations, Bagan officials today decided to house the entire team in a Five Star Hotel in the City. The Bagan team after a hard days practice at the club ground received a warm welcome at the ITC Sonar Bangla. The entire Bagan team will reside at the Sonar Bangla for the next five days and continue practice at the club ground

Marcos Periera - the 3rd foreigner for Bagan!

Though it has not been officially declared, it is quite evident from the arrival of Marcos Periera to Kolkata, just when Mohun Bagan was in search of the third foreigner that the former Bagan midfielder will sign for Mohun Bagan again.

Karim was searching for a midfielder of good physical structure and who can control midfield along with supporting the strikers upfront. Marcos had played for Bagan in the past and is well known to take much load in the midfield and also come up with the scoring boot at times. Last season he had played for JCT. His contract coming to an end in JCT and an offer from Bagan has flown the Brazilian midfielder to Kolkata and very soon he will be signing for Bagan.

When questioned about the present Bagan side, he said that Karim is a good coach and playing along with Bhaichung and Barreto he will try to make the best and give his best.

Mohun Bagan U-19 defeat East Bengal to storm into the Semis!

Mohun Bagan AC's U-19 team has been performing consistantly through out the on-going U-19 I league, and after a some handsome wins, they met city rivals, East Bengal in the Quaterfinal. But Mohun Bagan u-19 team made sure that they repeated the feat of their seniors. They defeated the East Bengal u-19 to make their way into the Semi-final!

Mohun Bagan wins Kolkata League - Star studded East Bengal manage to hold a Young Bagan!

This is Karim Bencharifa's script! It turned out just the way he had planned at the beginning of the season to win the Kolkata League for Mohun Bagan with his gang of young players. This is Mohun Bagan's 28th League title.

Karim with his young boys made their way through the tournament with much ups and a few downs, but ultimately emerged victorious leaving arch rivals East Bengal in the third place and Mohammedan finishing 2nd.

Bagan went into the match with needing just point to win the League, otherwise, had to wait for he Mohammedan - Chirag match which Mohammedan had to win by a a difference of atleast 3 goals. But Bagan boys left nothing in the hands of fortune and came out with the necessary 1 point, though it would not have been surprising had they extended their CFL Derby win to a astonishingly 8 wins in a row.

The match started off with East Bengal having nothing to lose plunging into the match with a star studded team. Alvito, Rahim Nabi, Meherajuddin Wadoo, SunilChhetri, Ashim Biswas, Surkumar, Musah and Subrata Pal, none were left out. Mohun Bagan on the other hand came out missing Dipak Mondal, Odafe, Bhaichung, Ishfaq. Young inexperienced players like Ramlal luaha, Jr. James, Rakesh Mashi, Rino Antao, Anand Vasan, Mohan Raj and Lalawm Puia represented Bagan.

East Bengal tried to prove their dominance the match, but lacked the quality to make any mark and the Bagan midfield, though lacking a play maker, fought well with the young blockers and snatchers. The defense also coped well with East Bengal attacks.

In the 23rd minute Malsauwmtulunga was tripped inside the East Bengal Penalty area and Bagan earned a penalty kick, which Barreto converted with out any mistake. Bagan held on t the lead for the remainder of the half.

With the beginning of the 2nd half, East Bengal again tried to get back, but failed to make any opening in the Bagan defense. Barreto on the other hand, wasted a 1:1 chance with Subrata.

Just when it seemed Mohun Bagan would register their 8th straight Derby win in the CFL against East Bengal, Edmilson Marquez in the 83minute scored from a free kick with went through the Bagan wall.

The match ended 1-1 and Mohun Bagan retaining the Kolkata League and winning it for the 28th time.

In the last 10 Derby encounters, Bagan have remained undefeated in the Salt Lake Stadium, infact winning majority of them.

Team: Sangram, Vasan, Manju, Rino, Mohunraj(Rahul Kumar), Rakesh, Lalram Luaha, Tulunga, Jr.James, Barreto, Lalawmpuia

Habibur-Odafe to miss the Big Match!

After what has become a title decider Derby, Mohun Bagan may miss the services of Odafe and Habibur, the two trusted defenders of Mohun Bagan. Habibur had sustained an injury during the last match against George Telegraph. Odafe, however, today was injured in a practice session and may be unavailable for the vital match tomorrow! Bhaichung, it was previously known that he may not have played, but still that is yet not decided and may be called upon if Karim deems fit. Mohun Bagan just needs to draw the derby match to win the League, though it is obvious that the Karim Boys will not settle for anything less than a victory.