TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Churchill Brothers are I-League’s champions-elect, as the 2-0 win over Mohun Bagan on Sunday left them needing just two points from as many games to secure their second league crown. They could also be confirmed as champions if Pune FC and East Bengal fail to win their next matches. Churchill truly have one hand on the I-League trophy but have it all to do to progress to the next round of the AFC Cup.
The Goan club must win their last two matches to be sure of reaching the round of 16, and thus this home match against Hong Kong First Division runners-up Kitchee SC is a must-win encounter.
Technical director Subhash Bhowmick has consistently played down the importance of the AFC Cup for the Goan outfit, but the Red Machines would surely still want to qualify and continue their journey in Asia’s Europa League. This will be their last home game, and thus they would be aiming to record maximum points and keep their knock-out hopes alive going into their match day six clash away against Indonesia’s Semen Padang.
Churchill be without midfielders Bikramjit Singh and Tomba Singh due to injury and second-choice goalkeeper Felix D’Souza also misses out. But crucially, influential Brazilian playmaker Beto has also been left out of the squad despite recently returning to fitness and being on the bench against Mohun Bagan on Sunday.
Bhowmick clearly doesn’t want to risk the Brazilian, but still has plenty of firepower in Sunil Chhetri, Henri Antchouet and Balal Arezou to cause problems to the Kitchee defence, which has not kept a clean sheet for eight straight matches now.
Churchill were well-beaten in the fixture in Hong Kong back in February but will be looking to make the most of their familiarity with afternoon kick offs and avenge that heavy loss. Getting over the finishing line of the I-League title race remains their priority, but even Bhowmick wouldn’t want to get rid of the winning habit that his squad is currently enjoying at the business end of the season, and thus one expects I-League’s would-be champions to give a strong performance.
When the draw was made, Kitchee was considered to be the favourites to win Group E and victories in their opening two games justified that claim. But the Hong Kong club were beaten twice by Indonesia’s Semen Padang and the slump in their AFC Cup form coincided with their poor form in the domestic league, as they have failed to win any of their last five league matches. Four of them have been draws and the latest one against Sun Pegasus last Friday handed the trophy to South China and ended Kitchee’s hopes of winning a hat-trick of domestic league titles.
