Anant Bakhale
Aizawl Football Club, Mizoram, once a little known club in the country, is on the verge of writing its name in the history books of football by winning the I-League. This rise of Aizawl FC reminds us of Leicester City, who won the English Premier League (EPL) in 2016 season.
Leicester City, promoted to EPL, proved their worth by winning the title, surprising all the top wealthiest teams. The Mizoram team is poised to follow Leicester City if they can continue with their good performance in the remaining two matches.
The Mizoram team this year is more renewed one with new head coach Khalid Jamil. He altered the dynamics of the team technically and tactically and gave players the much needed impetus.
“In my opinion you cannot compare Aizawl FC to Leicester City as both play in two different leagues,” Aizawl head coach Jamil said.
“We were not expecting to be at this level (joint top with Bagan). It was a total surprise. It is our hard work and dedication that brought us to this level. Our players work very hard and they give their 100 per cent every time when they are on the field,” he added.
Aizawl is at the joint-top position with Mohun Bagan, and find itself locked in a title race with the clubs it could hardly have dreamt of rubbing shoulders with. The team has two matches in hand, including a crucial tie against the table topper on April 22, at 2 p.m.
“Mohun Bagan match is very important for us. We will not take this match lightly as our opposition is very good team, a champion team,” coach Jamil said.
“They have quality players so we have to give 100 per cent. We have to be very good in our defence as well as in the attack and we have to be defensively and attackingly very good,” he added.
If Bagan lose by a margin of two goals or more then Aizawl will be crowned champions irrespective of what happens in the final round. Aizawl will have 36, and Bagan can move up to 36 points, but trail on head-to-head goal difference.
And if Bagan win they will be declared champions as they had won their previous match against Aizawl in Kolkata.
But if the match is a draw then Bagan can be the champions if they win their last home match against Chennai City FC, after which they will be ahead of Aizawl head-to-head on goal difference.
Aizawl temporarily climbed to the top of the standings with 33 points from 16 matches after beating Churchill Brothers 3-1 on Saturday but Mohun Bagan took the top spot later in the day by winning 1-0 against Minerva Punjab FC, thanks to a better goal difference and head-to-head record.
The club formed in 1984 showed its existence by winning 2015 I-League 2nd Division and making an entry into the I-League, the first club from Mizoram to participate in the top division.
Jamil felt that is was the grassroots programme that has helped the players more to enter the national team and also the local Aizawl FC.
The club, which was not even supposed to play in the top tier this year, as it was relegated from the I-league on its debut in 2016, was reinstated a few months later.
In 2016, the team despite not finishing last was the only one to be relegated only because DSK Shivajians, Pune finished at the bottom but enjoyed the three-year immunity from relegation.
Aizawl got a second chance after the club reached the final of 2016 Indian Federation Cup after which the All India Football Federation executive committee reinstated the club in the I-League. The team, however, lost to Mohun Bagan 5-0 in the final.
The title race for I-League 2017 is still open till the final day unless Mohun Bagan win or lose to Aizawl by two goals or more.
