East Bengal, Mohun Bagan resume rivalry

KOLKATA: Maidan heavyweights Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will look to prove a point when they resume their traditional rivalry in the I-League, albeit, at an ‘unusual time’, here.

The revamped Salt Lake Stadium will host the first derby of the season after a gap of 680 days since the 1-1 draw on January 23 last year.

“For a high-intensity match, it’s (2 pm start) an unusual time. We have asked the players to get ready for the warm-up session at the ground at 1.10 pm. It means that they will have early lunch too, may be by 10 am. It could be an influencing factor,” said Mohun Bagan assistant coach Shankarlal Chakraborty.

Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have roped in a few players from reigning champions Aizawl FC.

The I-League is struggling for the better share of players who were lured away by the lucrative ISL as Mohun Bagan would be without any India team regular.

At East Bengal, 12 of their players have switched allegiance to the ISL and only three players — Nikhil Poojary, Mohammed Rafique and Salam Ranjan Singh — have been called up for India duty recently.

For a long time, the derby has seen some usual faces like Mehtab Hossain, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Debjit Majumder who will be missed by the fans this time.

In such an unusual time, the derby will also see the Mohun Bagan’s I-League winning playmaker Katsumi Yusa in red-andgold jersey.

LAJONG TRIUMPH

SHILLONG: Redeem Tlang (28’) and Samuel J Lyngdoh Kynshi (72’) struck in either half of the match to give Lajong a 2-0 victory over Churchill Brothers in their second Hero I-League home fixture this season. Lajong leapfrog Minerva Punjab FC to grab the pole position having bagged all possible 6 points from 2 matches.