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Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) will square off against Sudeva Delhi FC in their opening I-League 2021-22 match in Naihati on Monday, 27th December.
Addressing the media at a pre-match press conference on Sunday, MSC head coach Andrey Chernyshov said:
“We’ve waited for this game for four months. The first game is always special. We’ll take one game at a time in the league. We respect Sudeva. They have a lot of young players who have the hunger and desire to win.”
2021 marked Mohammedan Sporting Club’s resurgence on the Indian football circuit. After losing narrowly 1-0 to FC Goa in the final of the 130th Durand Cup, the Kolkata giants ended a 40-year drought to claim their 12th Calcutta Football League (CFL) Premier Division A title.
MSC won the I-League 2nd Division last year to return to the I-League after a seven-year hiatus. However, they finished sixth in 2020-21 despite starting the campaign on a positive note.
Touted as one of the favorites for the I-League 2021-22 crown, Mohammedan Sporting Club have a good blend of experienced domestic players and formidable foreigners in their ranks. Chernyshov has his task cut out to insulate his players from external pressure and inspire them to bring their best game to the fore.
Chernyshov believes MSC’s Indian contingent has enough firepower to win the league. He also stated that the team will not be over-dependent on the overseas players and remarked:
“The nationalities or passports of the players don’t matter. What matters is the quality, which we have plenty of.”
Chernyshov was accompanied by Trinidadian striker Marcus Joseph, who joined Mohammedan Sporting Club on a one-year deal earlier this year. Joseph was the joint-top scorer with FC Goa's Devendra Murgaonkar (five goals each) in this year’s Durand Cup and played an instrumental role in the Black Panthers’ CFL triumph.
When asked about his target for the new I-League season, the former Gokulam Kerala FC player replied:
“I want to do the best for the team and win the trophy. Without them I can’t score goals.”
Mohammedan Sporting Club's official anthem now available on 500+ global platforms
Mohammedan Sporting Club’s official anthem "Amader Naam Mohammedan" was launched on over 500 streaming platforms on 24th December.
Speaking about the initiative, MSC’s investor Dipak Kumar Singh said in this regard:
“We at Bunkerhill want to take Mohammedan Sporting to a different height. We’re looking for an overall development. Launching the club anthem globally with the caller tune service has no doubt been an incredibly special moment for all of us."
He added:
"It’s now available on major platforms like iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, Wynk, Hungama Music, Amazon Music and Resso. The fans are proud; that's the most important thing for me."
