Mohammedan Sporting back in I-League after seven years

NEW DELHI:  After a gap of seven years, Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting qualified for the I-League after clinching the second division qualifiers on Friday. They bested local rivals Bhawanipore FC 2-0 in a title deciding clash at Kalyani thanks to goals from Vanlalbiaa Chhangte and Gani Nigam.

The win took Md Sporting, who last played in the I-League back in 2013-14 season, to nine points with one match to play, three ahead of Bhawanipore - who also have one game remaining. However, they cannot overtake Md Sporting owing to an inferior head-to-head record.

The 129-year-old club have been trying to make the I-League cut since their relegation back in 2013-14 but they have had to be content with second division participation over the years.  After a barren spell fraught with numerous controversies and behind the scenes issues, the Black Panthers became the 11th club of this upcoming I-League season.

They will also be the lone representative from Kolkata this season after Mohun Bagan and East Bengal’s entry into the ISL.

“We have been trying for many years but for some reason or the other, we never could make it (to the I-League). This means a lot not only for the club but also for the countless fans,” assistant coach Saheed Ramon stated after the match.

Even this campaign was full of controversy after the club sacked coach Yan Law after two games owing to allegations of match-fixing. They even resorted to filing a police complaint against the former Minerva coach. On Monday, Md Sporting will face FC Bengaluru United at the VYBK Stadium while Bhawanipore will take on ARA FC in Kalyani.

2013-14 Last time MD Sporting played in the I-League
2013-14 Durand Cup, the last major trophy the club won