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Mohun Bagan finally went back to winning ways after having the better of defending champions Minerva Punjab FC when the two sides locked horns in a weekday fixture. Henry Kisekka scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute to steer his team to its first victory in nearly a month. In spite of the win, Bagan’s camp will be disappointed as the margin of the goals did not reflect the true picture of the game.
Just a couple of days back, the ‘green and maroon’ brigade lost to East Bengal 2-3 in a five-goal thriller. There were a few decisions by the referee which went against Mohun Bagan and it was surprising the decisions could have easily gone the other way! Mohun Bagan was on the wrong side of the decision once again as they were denied a goal during their clash against Minerva Punjab FC on Wednesday evening in Panchkula.
Mohun Bagan sent a third letter to I-League CEO Sunando Dhar. Will the federation take note at least now?
Let us have a look at 3 times when Mohun Bagan was undone by poor refereeing:
#3 Omar's free-kick which might have crossed the line
Mohun Bagan was awarded a free kick just outside the box for an illegal challenge by Souvik Das who pulled down Henry Kisekka in the 39th minute. Egyptian winger Omar El Hussieny went ahead to take the kick. He produced a brilliant shot which was denied by the woodwork. The ball was loitering in front of the target following the rebound, Kisekka managed to push the ball towards the target, but it was cleared away by a defender although it apparently seemed that the ball crossed the goal line.
The television replay did not help either because the camera angle was such that it was hard to make out that it was a legitimate goal or not. The Bagan players shouted their hearts out but the decision was not reversed. Mohun Bagan was disallowed a goal because Dipanda Dicka was standing in an offside position, which was marginal. The benefit of the doubt could have gone in, either way, the visitors couldn’t have complained about that.
Wasting no time, Swapan Banerjee sent another letter addressed to the AIFF, urging them to take some serious actions due to repeated controversial decisions taken by the referees in two consecutive matches. Till now, no actions have been taken by the governing body, but hopefully, it will come anytime soon. Unfair decisions change the fate of a match; it should be taken care that these mistakes are eradicated in the future.
#2 Borja Gomez's handball during the 'Kolkata Derby'
Trailing by 1-3 and down to 10 men with 30 minutes from the final whistle, Mohun Bagan tried their level best to produce a near-impossible comeback against East Bengal. In the 64th minute, Arijit Bagui’s cross was travelling straight towards Bagan’s strikers in front of the goal.
Borja Gomez Perez intervened and made an attempt to clear it but eventually, it brushed the defender’s shoulder, the loose ball was shot by Sheikh Faiaz but it was kept away by East Bengal’s shot-stopper.
From the television replays, it was quite evident that Bagan deserved a penalty. If Mohun Bagan was given a kick from the spot, things could have been different and even the outcome of the game. The ‘Mariners’ lost the match 2-3, but you never know, it could well have been 3-3!
As per the past records, these points matter the most at the end of the league. There has been an instance when Mohun Bagan was placed second in the I-League, just a point behind the eventual winners.
Just after the Kolkata Derby’, Bagan's manager Swapan Banerjee had sent a letter to I-League CEO Sunando Dhar to look into the matter, while their official Debashish Dutta followed it up with another letter the day after.
#1 Akashdeep Singh's handball
Mohun Bagan was unlucky not to get a penalty in the last match when East Bengal's defender Borja Gomez Perez was guilty of a handball offence. Bagan was trailing by a couple of goals at the moment and the penalty could have easily changed the complexion off the game.
A similar incident happened during the match against Minerva Punjab FC in the 50th minute of the match when Akashdeep Singh handled the ball inside the penalty box. The referee was not interested in the incident and the match rolled on.
Although the visitors won the match by a solitary goal, the decision would have been vital if they had conceded later. As per the former India International Renedy Singh, who was commentating during the match, Mohun Bagan should have been awarded a penalty.
On the other hand, Bagan's midfielder Yuta Kinowaki conceded a handball just outside the penalty box but the decision was also pretty uncalled for. The Japanese had no other option but to fold his hands. Minerva Punjab’s Bala’s shot hit straight in the upper portion of his arm in the 83rd minute. The referee decided to award Minerva Punjab FC a free kick from a dangerous position.
In both the situations, the Kolkata giants were the victims of two poor decisions by the two respective referees. Moreover, some of the decisions in the ongoing I-League has raised eyebrows. During the match between East Bengal and Aizawl FC, the former was denied a goal when it was clear from the replay that the ball had crossed the line.
