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After a derby is before a derby. After Sunday’s loss to archrivals East Bengal Club, Mohun Bagan AC play another Kolkata derby tomorrow in the Round 11 in the I-League against Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Saltlake Stadium in the evening.
The result against East Bengal ended Mohun Bagan’s four match unbeaten run and dropped them into ninth place and they remain a point behind Mohammedan Sporting Club, who were held to a goalless draw by Churchill Brothers SC on Saturday.
Despite the loss, Mohun Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa took plenty of positives from Sunday’s derby as his young all Indian defence were well organised and only beaten by a moment of magic from Lalrindika Ralte.
Encouragingly skipper and talisman Odafe Onyeka Okolie also completed ninety minutes for the first time in this I-League campaign after recovering from a long-term injury.
Nigerian defender Echezona Aniyeche is back from suspension and thus the green-and-maroon brigade will have all four foreigners available for the first time this season. That aspect is keeping Bencherifa positive ahead of this clash against Mohammedan Sporting, who have stabilised especially after the IMG-Reliance players joined them.
