Mohun Bagan versus Churchill Brothers is fast turning into one of the greatest rivalries in Indian football. Even this year, after Bagan were pipped by the Goan side to the I-league title on the final day of the campaign, the Kolkata giants beat them to the Super Cup. But Churchill had the last laugh, claiming the IFA Shield after upsetting Bagan in their backyard earlier this month. Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa is plotting revenge and he will have his chance come Tuesday.
Bagan overcame holders Mahindra United 2-1 in the Durand Cup semi-final on Sunday to book their berth in the decider. After the victory, the Moroccan was confident of his side's chances. "We played well. Our midfield was exceptional and we did really well to reclaim the lead after Mahindra had managed to equalise. We are looking good. We are ready for the final," he said.
He also acknowledged the rivalry with Churchill. "We have been up against them a lot lately. In the last two years, we have had a lot of contests. This year too we have played them quite a bit already," he added.
But the 41-year-old refused to dwell too much on their opponents. "The fact that we are playing Churchill won't change anything. Sometimes we win, sometimes they win. Tuesday, hopefully, will be ours."
Striker Chidi Edeh, whose brace won it for Bagan, was all praise for his team. "It was because of my teammates. They played really well. It is their supply that got me the goals," said the Nigerian.
Mahindra coach David Booth, meanwhile, rued his side's missed chances. "We had three one-on-one situations in the early stages. If we had scored then, the pressure would have been on Bagan. Maybe the result would have been different then," he said.
The coach also pointed out that Mahindra's defensive lapses led to both the Bagan goals. "We only have ourselves to blame. We were punished for not marking properly for the corner and then we conceded a soft goal after bringing the scores level," added the Englishman.
Churchill are playing in their third consecutive final of the tournament and will be looking forward to carry on the momentum from the IFA Shield victory. Bagan, on the other hand, will be looking to wipe away memories of that match as they contend for a record 17th Durand Cup title.
Source: ESPNStar.com
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Monday 21 September 2009, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.