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Last season’s runners-up ATK Mohun Bagan FC kick-started the eighth edition of the Indian Super League in style. They beat two-time finalists Kerala Blasters FC 4-2 in Fatorda on Friday.
Hugo Boumous (2), Roy Krishna and Liston Colaco got themselves on the scoresheet to hand the Mariners three points. The win came ahead of this season's first Kolkata derby against SC East Bengal on November 27.
In a recent interaction with the ATKMB Media Team, Boumous and Colaco opened up about their dazzling goals. They shared their thoughts about the upcoming derby. Here are the excerpts:-
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"We must maintain the continuity of winning the derby" - Hugo Boumous
Hugo Boumous has been a major attraction of the ISL since his arrival in India four years back. The French-Moroccan attacking midfielder was instrumental in guiding Mumbai City FC to their maiden ISL triumph last season.
He also helped FC Goa claim their maiden ISL League Winners Shield in 2019-20 and replicated the same with MCFC a season later. The 26-year-old has scored a total of 21 goals and created 24 assists in 51 ISL appearances so far.
With a view to bolstering their already formidable attack, ATKMB signed Boumous on a staggering five-year deal during the summer transfer window.
He commenced his ATK stint with a brace against KBFC in the season’s inaugural match. He turned heads with his incredible pace and power. He was rightly adjudged the Player of the Match.
Reflecting on his match-winning display, Boumous said:
"I am happy with how I played in the opening match. You can say it was a memorable match for me because I scored a pair of goals and became the Player of the Match. The first match is always tough. Apart from that, we got three points by scoring four goals as a team.”
Boumous joined forces with ATKMB hotshot Roy Krishna in the AFC Cup earlier this year. However, fans were excited to see the duo in action in the ISL. The moment finally arrived on November 19 as both players found their scoring boots and combined beautifully.
Speaking about his partnership with the Fijian, Boumous said:
"I really enjoy playing with Roy Krishna. Roy won the Golden Ball last year. The greater our rapport becomes, the more our club will benefit. He can understand my passes, so it helps me.”
After getting their campaign underway with a commanding win, the Mariners are now focused on Asian football’s biggest extravaganza – the Kolkata derby. However, Boumous emphasized that they need to iron out their mistakes before facing SC East Bengal on November 27.
“The derby is ahead. I am waiting to play that match. I have heard a lot about the Kolkata derby. There will be no spectators at the venue; that pains me a lot. Despite winning against Kerala, not everything was perfect for us. Our opponents scored two goals. The mistakes must be rectified against SC East Bengal. We must maintain the continuity of winning in the derby," the former ISL Golden Ball winner said.
"I've never scored another such goal" - Liston Colaco
In yet another instance of a cash splurge, ATKMB grabbed the headlines by signing Liston Colaco. They signed the Indian forward on a record transfer fee (in excess of Rs 1 crore) from Hyderabad FC in April.
The record was later broken by Apuia. He was snapped up by defending champions Mumbai City FC for a sum estimated to be around Rs 2 crore.
Despite making his ISL debut with FC Goa in 2017-18, Colaco struggled to make his presence felt initially, owing to limited game time. The Goan got only 70 minutes of action in his first two seasons with the Gaurs. This forced him to jump ship to Hyderabad FC ahead of ISL 2020-21.
It was during his stint with the Nizams that Colaco came into his own. The 23-year-old registered two goals and three assists to star in HFC’s amazing campaign last season. They narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.
Against KBFC on Friday, Colaco picked up from where he left off last season. A brilliant curling strike in the 50th minute saw him bag his first ISL goal for ATKMB. It was his second goal as a Mariner, with the first coming against Maldives’ Maziya S&RC in the AFC Cup in August.
Describing his goal against KBFC as the best of his career, Colaco said:
"Everyone is saying the goal I scored in the first match was world-class. Although I have scored some goals for other teams before, I have never scored another such goal. It feels good to score a goal. I want to score in every match. I want to dedicate the first goal to the ATK Mohun Bagan supporters. "
Colaco also revealed his family’s reaction to his stellar performance.
"My family is happier with my performance than I am, especially my parents. There is no opportunity to visit the stadium, so they watched the game on TV, sitting in our house in Goa. Everyone expects me to play well. It will help the team and motivate me to score more goals," the India international said.
