Mohun Bagan set to play their opening game of the season
Leaving behind a successful domestic season, the defending champions of the prestigious Durand Cup will be back on 27th July as they take on a new and naive side Downtown Heroes FC from the heart of Kashmir in the inaugural clash of Group A.
The Mariners are confident about facing an inferior side from the JKFA state league. The Jubilant and local players of the Downtown Heroes FC are not here for an 'Experience'. Considering the players will be fielded by the Mohun Bagan management they are not at all in the form of dominating games. Downtown Heroes coach Hilal Rasool is a defense-oriented coach who can capture games with less quality players.
We are all set to begin our Durand Cup campaign on 27th July against Downtown Heroes FC.
— MBFT : Mohun Bagan (@MBFT89) July 26, 2024
Let's have a look at our group stage matches. #JoyMohunBagan #MBFT #DurandCup pic.twitter.com/7lzGBgxSjN
The Defending Durand Cup champions are looking to retain the title as one of the priorities of temporary gaffer Bastab Roy. The side only fields their reserves and development team and some Senior Indian players the only foreigner contingent being Scottish CB Tom Aldred. It is going to be an interesting affair for the Mariners in the opening match of the Durand Cup.
On the other hand, a fair new and unknown side of Downtown heroes are here to spoil the day for the Mariners. They may not have the best quality in the tournament but their foreign contingent can make the difference for this match. Names like Darius Snorton has signed for Downtown Heroes from Neroca FC, former Morrocan u23 Redah Atassi and French Attacking Midfielder Gigilo are quite experienced for the outing. Being the champions of the Jammu Kashmir state league it only rubber stamps their winning mentality.
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| Picture Courtesy :- MBSG Media |
With all said, taking Downtown Heroes FC lightly can be fatal, as we have already witnessed catastrophic results in the Calcutta Football League with this squad. But surely we have full faith in Bastab Roy who will restore the harmony and fluidity of this team.
Prediction: As Mohun Bagan will try to dominate Downtown Heroes FC for a solid Durand Cup start, a scoreline of 2-0 or 3-1 can be expected but Downtown's dedication can cost us if we are not careful enough.
Possible Line-ups:
Mohun Bagan SG: Dheeraj Singh, Raj Basfore, Tom Aldred, Sumit Rathi, Ashish Rai, Glan Martins, Abhisek Suryavanshi, Ravi Rana, Taison Singh, Suhail Bhatt, Salahuddin Adnan
Kick OFF: 6:00 PM IST
Live Stream: Sony Sports Ten 2 (TV) and Sony Liv (OTT)
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangyan (Salt Lake Stadium), Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
