By Ajay Majumder
KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club looks to extend their winning streak in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A when they take on Peerless Sports Club on Sunday at Barasat Stadium.
The Black Panthers, who are currently on third place with 15 points from six games, will be eager to log their fifth straight win in the competition to keep pressure on the leaders East Bengal who are on 21 points.
“We are not looking at the league table right now. What we have to do is just keep winning,” said Mohammedan SC Head Coach Mridul Bannerjee.
Mohammedan SC, who registered four back-to-back wins in the CFL first time since 2008-09, have emerged as surprise title contenders but the task at hand will not be easy for the Black Panthers and the gaffer is expecting a tough game against Peerless, who played some spirited football over the course of the competition.
Peerless started their campaign with a goalless draw against Tollygunge Agragami. Then they went on to beat Aryan 3-0 before going down 0-2 against East Bengal. However, the Fuja Tope-led side bounced back to the winning ways with a 2-1 win over United Sports Club followed by consecutive draws against Mohun Bagan and Bhawanipore Club.
Facing Mohammedan SC, Fuja Tope will be relying heavily on the strike pair of Rahim Nabi and Ghanefo Kromah for goals upfront, while the likes of Argha Chakraborty, Sukhwinder Singh, Arijit Bagui and Irfan Khan will hold the key in midfield with Nigerian Eze Kingsley leading the defense line.
“Peerless SC will be a difficult team to beat as they are a very hardworking team. But if we play to our potential and convert our chances then we have a good chance to win,” Mridul Bannerjee added.
For the record, when last time these two teams meet in the CFL Premier Division three years back it was Mohammedan SC who came out victorious courtesy Ashim Biswas’ lone goal.
On the team news front, Mohammedan SC is likely to retain the same starting line-up tomorrow that beat Southern Samity midweek, while the newest foreign acquisition Alexandre Tabillon will start on the bench.
The game at Barasat Stadium kicks off at 5.30 pm on Sunday and it will be televised live on ETV News Bangla.
