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The 131st edition of the Durand Cup will kick off with the Group A clash between defending champions FC Goa (FCG) and last season’s runners-up Mohammedan Sporting Club (MDSP) at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday (August 16). The Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third-oldest football tournament.
FC Goa earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mohammedan in last year’s final at the same venue. Although the Kolkata giants gave their Goa counterparts a tough fight to take the match into extra time, it was FC Goa who had the last laugh, thanks to their captain Edu Bedia’s 105th-minute winner.
This time though, the story could be different as Mohammedan have decided to field a full-strength squad compared to FC Goa’s young and inexperienced roster. While the Gaurs announced their 26-member development side under Deggie Cardozo on August 10, Mohammedan officially named a 28-member squad for the upcoming season in their club tent a day before the Durand Cup opener.
The Black and White brigade chose India’s 76th Independence Day to unveil their new kit that features the India Gate, soldiers, a tank and fighter jets in honor of India’s armed forces. Amid much fanfare and chants of Jaan Jaan Mohammedan, Trinidadian goalmachine Marcus Joseph was announced as the new captain of the 131-year-old club.
Mohammedan officials also felicitated Commonwealth Games (CWG) gold-winning weightlifter Achinta Sheuli and the captain of India’s first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship bronze-winning team, Moin Ijaz.
After the event, the Mohammedan players hit the club's ground to train under the watchful eyes of their Russian head coach and former Spartak Moscow defender Andrey Chernyshov. The first half of the practice session was witnessed by the club faithful from the stands, who also clamored for free tickets to Tuesday’s match.
Mohammedan officials and representatives of their investor BunkerHill Pvt Ltd beamed with enthusiasm, looking at the newly renovated ground and the usual frenzy among fans. It has been a remarkable turnaround for the club as they are on course to reclaim their place in the top echelons of Indian football after dreading a potential shutdown just eight years ago.
On the sidelines of the team’s training session, Sportskeeda caught up with Mohammedan's general secretary Danish Iqbal to discuss the club’s upcoming foreign collaboration and their Indian Super League (ISL) ambitions.
Danish Iqbal on Mohammedan’s partnership with Fulham FC
It was Sportskeeda who on November 30, 2021, first broke the news about Mohammedan Sporting Club’s upcoming multi-year tie-up with a famous English club.
While other publications floated the names of three European clubs – Fulham FC, Besiktas JK, and Juventus FC – in the subsequent months, we confirmed on May 13 that it would be England’s Fulham FC, who won the EFL Championship to secure promotion back to the Premier League.
Asked about the status of the partnership and the tentative date of its official announcement, Mr. Iqbal exclusively told Sportskeeda:
“The official announcement of the partnership with Fulham will be made just before this year’s I-League.”
Danish Iqbal speaks about Mohammedan Sporting Club’s chances of entering the ISL
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda on December 14, 2021, BunkerHill Sports founder and chairman Dipak Kumar Singh said that Mohammedan could be seen participating in the ISL from the 2023-24 season onwards.
Almost six months later, a Sangbad Pratidin report revealed that Toyam Industries Ltd, the only sports marketing and management company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), was keen to acquire a 51% stake in Mohammedan Sporting Club and invest over Rs 100 crore to facilitate their entry into the ISL.
After Mohammedan agreed upon a 50-50 partnership with BunkerHill in October 2020, sources close to the Black and White camp suggested that club officials were unwilling to cede a majority stake to Toyam Industries.
Does that mean the deal is canceled? Mr Iqbal, without spilling the beans, dismissed such rumors, saying:
“I can’t reveal the status of the deal with Toyam at the moment. All I can say is there’s enough reason to be positive. It’s not canceled yet and we’re trying our best to enter the ISL by next year.”
With BunkerHill’s financial support, Mohammedan officials are leaving no stone unturned to beautify the club premises and give the tent a huge facelift. Already, a big new front gate has been installed and a balcony resembling that of London’s iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground is being constructed.
Mr Iqbal also told Sportskeeda that the age-old wooden stands would be replaced with more comfortable bucket seats in due course.
