MAPUSA: Mohun Bagan, who have been given an uncalled for fresh lease of life courtesy AIFF after their horrendous, unacceptable abandonment of I-League match against East Bengal on December 9 are ready for their new start in the I-League as the Kolkata team prepare to come face-to-face with Salgaocar Football Club in their 17th round encounter at Duler Stadium, here, on Sunday, at 3.45 p.m.
Mohun Bagan are back in the I-League but will have to start without any points in their kitty. They will be ‘blank’ when they meet Salgaocar, coincidentally, a team that current coach Karim Bencherifa trained at the start of the season, but left after being made to tender a one month’s notice.
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Salgaocar are preparing to field three new foreign players. Brazilian striker Josimar Martins, Singapore midfielder John Wilkinson and Nigerian sharpshooter OJ Obatola have been talked about as the three new foreign additions for Salgaocar.
Salgaocar lost the first round clash 0-3 in Kolkata but Salgaocar coach David Booth will feel confident that he can turn the corner in familiar conditions and with a much improved squad at his disposal.
Salgaocar, placed 12th on the League table, are just one point above the relegation zone. They will have full support of the home crowd, much more so as Mohun Bagan made a backdoor entry now thanks to the AIFF executive committee, after being rightly hit by a three-year ban as per the I-league rules in force which govern the competition.
Pune will face Sporting Clube de Goa in another 17th round I-League match in Pune at 7 p.m. while Pailan Arrows will look to overcome Shillong Lajong in yet another match in Kolkata at 2 p.m.
