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“What’s in a name?”, the Bard had asked. Everything, if you consider the second Kolkata derby of ISL 2021-22 between ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal. A 30-minute whirlwind swept the Red and Gold Brigade away at Fatorda’s PJN Stadium on Saturday and inflicted upon them a fourth consecutive defeat in the ISL's short derby history.
A star was born in Indian football as a 21-year-old became the youngest Indian player ever to register a hat-trick in the ISL as well as in the Kolkata derby. Myriad articles flooded the internet after the final whistle was blown, as Kiyan Nassiri Giri, the son of East Bengal legend Jamshid Nassiri, announced his arrival in the grandest manner possible.
The context
The 3-1 scoreline in favor of ATK Mohun Bagan can be deceptive. Make no mistake, SC East Bengal’s solid defensive shape absorbed their rivals’ sporadic attacks in the early exchanges, leaving them palpably frustrated at the end of the first half.
The Red and Gold Brigade took the coveted lead against the run of play in the 56th minute through their Dutch midfielder Darren Sidoel. Moments later, ATK Mohun Bagan’s head coach Juan Ferrando surprised everyone by introducing Kiyan as a substitute for Deepak Tangri. And what a roll of the dice it would turn out to be!
Playing only his second ISL match, the sprightly forward struck the equalizer with his first touch in the 64th minute. The deadlock couldn’t be broken in regulation time as ATK Mohun Bagan’s David Williams and SC East Bengal’s Lalrinliana Hnamte missed a penalty and an easy scoring chance respectively.
Just when it seemed that the two sides would have to share the spoils, “super sub” Kiyan turned the tide in the Mariners’ favor by completing his hat-trick in the dying embers of the game and securing a 3-1 victory.
His second goal came in the second minute of stoppage time as he converted a half-volley that had rebounded off the post after a Liston Colaco header. A minute later, he scripted history by converting a Manvir Singh assist and joining the hallowed company of Amiya Deb, Asit Ganguly, Bhaichung Bhutia and Edeh Chidi in the list of the derby’s hat-trick heroes.
C/O Kolkata Maidan
Jamshed Nassiri has hardly had a moment to relax since Saturday. From journalists to former footballers, everyone has been wanting to get a slice of the euphoric atmosphere pervading the Nassiri household in Kolkata.
After several failed attempts throughout Sunday, Sportskeeda finally managed to get through to him on Tuesday morning. After the initial exchange of greetings, Nassiri Sr. said:
“My phone has been ringing non-stop since Saturday night. I’ve barely had any time to relax, so I couldn’t respond to many calls. Please don’t mind.”
The former striker then went on to narrate his son’s journey as a footballer, starting with his formative years. Nassiri Sr. told Sportskeeda:
“I was a bit worried about his height when I took him [Kiyan] to the Dukhiram Majumdar Coaching Center. However, they assured me that he would grow fast and there was nothing to worry about. Luckily, he grew taller in a short time. He was around seven or eight years old back then.”
Following in the footsteps of his father and his idol Lionel Messi, Kiyan dreamt of becoming a forward from a very tender age. After learning the rudiments of the sport at Dukhiram, he went on to train at the Southern Sports Association under Yan Law’s tutelage, and Veterans Sports Club.
He also captained the Bengal U-13 team and scored plenty of goals, grabbing the attention of the Mohun Bagan scouts. Nasir Ali was the coach of Mohun Bagan’s junior team at the time.
Nassiri Sr, who himself scored for East Bengal in three derbies – the 1980 Rovers Cup, the 1981 Darjeeling Gold Cup and the 1985 Federation Cup - said:
"After playing for them in the Nursery League for two seasons [2013-14 and 2014-15], he joined the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club.”
At the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club, Kiyan honed his skills under the watchful eyes of Indian football legend Shyam Thapa. He then had a brief spell at the Mohammedan Sporting Club before returning to Calcutta Cricket & Football Club for the 2017-18 season.
During his second stint at CC&FC, Kiyan became their highest scorer in the second division CFL and helped them gain promotion. His meteoric rise forced both Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan to pursue him, but it was Mohun Bagan who eventually succeeded in signing him for their U-19 team.
“Many people, including Bidesh Bose, Manas Bhattacharyya, Pradip Chaudhury and Shyam Thapa, recommended him to Mohun Bagan at the time and even the supporters wanted him. Mohun Bagan’s youth team coach Amiya Ghosh facilitated the move. Mohammedan also wanted to sign him for the U-19 I-League,” Nassiri Sr. said.
Kiyan’s breakthrough moment came in 2019 when an impressive showing in the Zee Bangla League, an intra-district U-19 tournament, and later the pre-season trial in Goa earned him a promotion to Mohun Bagan’s senior ISL team.
Although he made a solitary appearance in the Mariners’ victorious I-League campaign that season, he managed to impress the then Mohun Bagan head coach Kibu Vicuna with his versatility. Nassiri Sr. revealed:
“Kibu wanted to give him more chances, but the season got cut short by COVID-19. Kibu deployed my son in various positions in training, ranging from side-back to centre-forward. He was very happy with Kiyan and wanted to take him to Kerala Blasters FC when he became their head coach last season.”
Incidentally, Kiyan was retained by ATK Mohun Bagan along with Subha Ghosh and Sheikh Sahil after ATK FC and Mohun Bagan entered a merger in 2020.
Kiyan is not overawed by the legacy of his surname: Jamshid Nassiri
In India, being the scion of a famous father can be a curse at times. Cutting across disciplines, we’ve seen several examples of kids being unable to cope with the weight and pressure associated with their famous surnames if they aspire to make their careers in the same profession as their parent(s).
Those who were fortunate to witness Kolkata football during its Romantic Age, the 70s and 80s, will tell you what kind of an impact the Iranian duo of Jamshid Nassiri and Majid Bishker had created on the maidan with their scoring spree. While Majid’s career sank into oblivion, Nassiri Sr. made the "City of Joy" his second home.
Nassiri Sr. knows that people will compare Kiyan with him at every stage of his football journey. Yet at the same time, he exudes confidence that "legacy" will help his son stay grounded. He said:
“Kiyan has grown up interacting with legends of Indian football. He knows about the rich heritage of Kolkata football, so he is never overawed by the pressure. These are still early days and there’s pressure everywhere. Punctuality, discipline and hard work are the virtues that will help him stay grounded.”
Riding on his dream derby debut, Kiyan has emerged as a strong candidate for the no.9 position in the Indian team, which is still undergoing experiments. Despite being a work-in-progress, he exhibited an amazing positional sense and scored with both feet en route to his hat-trick.
Former footballers like Subrata Bhattacharya and Monoranjan Bhattacharya have opined that a stronger physique and better heading will keep him in good stead going forward. What are Nassiri Sr.’s thoughts on this?
The East Bengal and Mohammedan SC legend said:
“He has played only one match, so let’s give him some time. He’s a technically better player than me. Every player has limitations, but those who know how to function with those limitations succeed in life. I’m sure he knows what’s right for his game and he’s guided by a good set of people at ATK Mohun Bagan.”
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Road not taken
It’s also intriguing to see that Kiyan’s crowning moment came against the club that catapulted his father to fame. Did he feel sad to see his beloved team being punished by his younger son? Has East Bengal ever shown interest in Kiyan Nassiri?
Responding to Sportskeeda’s question, Nassiri Sr., who scored 72 goals in two stints at East Bengal, revealed, “East Bengal did show interest in my son before he joined Mohun Bagan. Alvito [D’Cunha] wanted him at East Bengal, but Mohun Bagan were more desperate to get him.”
Sportskeeda also spoke to D’Cunha to gain a better understanding of the story. D’Cunha, who was a vital cog in the East Bengal team from 2002 to 2016, said:
“Yes, absolutely! I wanted to bring Kiyan to East Bengal. He was one of my key players when I was the CC&FC coach. I remember, once when we played against Bengaluru FC’s B team, Naushad Moosa [BFC assistant coach] told me that Kiyan would become one of India’s best footballers in the future. He now only needs to maintain himself well and keep working hard.”
I request the AIFF to organize more tournaments every year: Jamshid Nassiri
In a recent interview with ATK Mohun Bagan’s media team, Kiyan said that his ultimate dream is to don the Indian blue jersey. There’s no doubt about his talent and his inherent quality as a poacher. But the question is - “Will he get enough chances?" In fact, it’s not even certain if he will find a place in the XI in the Mariners’ reverse fixture against Mumbai City FC on Thursday.
It will be interesting to see how Ferrando utilizes him once Roy Krishna regains his full fitness. Nassiri Sr. said:
“I’m sure he’ll be in the Indian national team soon. He just needs to keep his focus intact and not get swayed by this sudden surge in media attention.”
Before Saturday’s Kolkata derby, Kiyan had featured in only two of ATK Mohun Bagan’s matches – against Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf in the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semi-final (a 0-6 defeat), and against Kerala Blasters FC in the inaugural match of ISL 2021-22 (a 4-2 win).
Nassiri Sr. emphasized the need to organize more domestic competitions so that the young players get more playing time. The 62-year-old concluded:
“During our playing days, we used to play a lot of matches all year round. That’s why most of the Indian players who played at that time were worthy of making it to the Asian All Stars team. It’s difficult to give the youngsters enough chances if a team plays only twenty to twenty-five matches in a season. I request the AIFF [All India Football Federation] to organize more tournaments so that these youngsters get more playing time.”
