Shillong, Oct 16: Mohammedan Sporting made sure of their place in the 2020-21 edition of the I-League as they bested local Kolkata rivals Bhawanipore FC 2-0 in their qualifier match on today at the Kalyani Stadium.
Mohammedan had last played in the I-League back in 2013-14, at the end of which they suffered relegation and were never able to claw their way back.
Goals from man-of-the-match Vanlalbiaa Chhangte (28′) and Gani Nigam (67′) gave the Black Panthers victory over the second-strongest club in the five-team competition.
Three wins in three games puts Mohammedan clear at the top of the standings with nine points, compared to Bhawanipore’s six. Both sides have one round of matches to go, but with a points lead and head-to-head advantage over the only club that can equal their points tally, Mohammedan can celebrate early.
The club began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Garhwal FC before thrashing ARA FC 4-1. However, things were not all plain sailing for the team in the personnel department.
Coach Yan Law resigned or was sacked (depending on who you ask) after the second match. Club officials made the team selection for the second match after being less than impressed with the team’s performance in the first and then announced a parting of ways with Law immediately following the game, citing his supposed conflicts with other staff.
One person who appears to have suffered in the fallout was Meghalaya’s Samuel Shadap. After playing the full 90 minutes of the first fixture, he was benched for the second and left out of the squad altogether in today’s match. Shadap had followed Law to Mohammedan after playing under the gaffer at Punjab FC in the I-League last season.
(Photo: AIFF Media)
