A taste of India

German football legend Lothar Matthaus was in India for the Reliance Foundation Youth Series football tournament.

His first taste of India was through hockey when Munich hosted the Olympic Games in 1972. That was the first time German football legend Lothar Matthaus found India’s name frequently popping up and incidentally West Germany won the Olympic hockey title then, beating Pakistan by a lone goal in the final.

That hockey tournament, where India won the bronze, perhaps stays fresh in Matthaus’ mind for it ended in controversy with the Pakistan fans and officials invading the pitch and assaulting tournament officials and stadium security personnel after the final.

“India is a young football country. You have a different national sport here, you play hockey. Thirty-forty years ago, my first contact with India was because of hockey, I think it was the 1972 Olympics,” said Matthaus as he kept a close eye on the proceedings at the Reliance Foundation Youth Series football tournament’s Kochi final at the Panampilly Nagar Sports Academy ground.

He said while football was gaining in popularity in India one should be patient with the sport and give it time to develop.

An India adventure

Senegal international Modou Sougou accepted Portuguese coach Jorge Costa’s offer of an India adventure with Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) before the 2018-19 season commenced. Nine goals later, the wiry striker is getting noticed, justifying his coach’s choice with – in addition to the goals – assists and boundless energy on the pitch. A historic four goals in the 6-1 thumping of the Kerala Blasters was a special effort from the forward, putting into effect the moves planned by the coach.

“You cannot win a game alone for the team. The important thing is to keep focus on the things we are expected to do. The goals came from moves we worked at in training,” Sougou said after becoming Mumbai City's all-time top-scorer with nine goals.

At Mumbai City, Sougou has found familiar faces who have helped translate the ground work onto the pitch, having previously worked with Costa at Academica Coimbra in Portugal and Romania’s CFR Cluj.

Paulo Machado, Sougou’s one-time teammate at the Academica, drilled the ball in from a deep position on the left flank towards goal, which was helped past the Blasters ’keeper Dheeraj Singh by a sliding Sougou for his first goal of the night.

“We played together in Portugal and I know what he is thinking. The first goal is always important because it set up the team mood,” MCFC’s leading scorer said. After Sougou completed his hat-trick, he watched his former teammate at Cluj, Brazilian Rafael Bastos, hammer in the fourth goal.

Bastos and the Senegal forward played their parts in Cluj’s famous 1-0 victory in the 2012 UEFA Champions League group