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Mohammedan Sporting Club, who are ranked at the top of the I-League table with 34 points to their name, are heavily primed to win the title and earn promotion into the Indian Super League next season.
One of their star players, centre-back Mohammed Irshad, has been vital for their showing in the league and inculcated in them the good habit of keeping clean sheets.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, the Tirur, Kerala-born defender mentioned that the focus in the dressing room is only on getting three points in each game that the Black Panthers play.
"The only mindset we have is to go for 3 points in each and every game that we play. There is nothing complicated in our mindset at all. All we want and all we play for is to get three points - nothing more and nothing less. The environment in the club is such that we have to focus and concentrate upon achieving our targets," said Irshad.
Upon being asked what made his defensive skills so highly rated, Mohammed Irshad put it down to having played with experienced defensive sides in the past as well as the lessons he has learned from Mohammedan head coach Andrey Chernyshov.
Irshad, who was signed by the Black Panthers from NorthEast United FC ahead of the 2023-24 season, has also played for big clubs like East Bengal and Gokulam Kerala in the past.
"I have played with many good defences and I keep watching matches. Of course, our coach (Andrey Chernyshov) helps me as well. There is no end to our learning; we keep learning from our teammates as well as from our coaches. I see a lot of matches and videos through which I improve my mindset and positioning on the ball," he added.
"We don't care about who our opponents are; we have to win all the matches" - Mohammed Irshad
Irshad, who is known to be rather restrained while speaking, mentioned that the mood in the dressing room is quite upbeat given that the Kolkata giants are on top of the I-League table at the moment.
When the conversation veered towards the Black Panthers' next game, against Sreenidi Deccan on February 29 in Hyderabad, the 29-year-old did not shy away from admitting that it would be a challenging one. Indeed, that game is being billed as a title-defining clash.
"The club is doing really well at the moment. All our teammates have really good bonds with each other. Hopefully, we can achieve a lot of big things together," said Irshad.
"Sreenidi have a good side; they are a very strong team. However, we are ready and prepared for them. We are ready to give our all in the match against them and bring 3 points from it. We don't care about who our opponents are; we have to win all the matches. To win the championship (I-League) is our target," he signed off.
