Kolkata: Former I-League Champions Mohun Bagan on Saturday announced a 21-member squad that will travel to Sikkim on Sunday to participate in the Sikkim Good Cup to held in Sikkim. Overseas defender Kingsley Obumneme and striker Azharuddin Mallick, who scored a hat-trick in the CFL this year were the notable absentees from the squad.
The Sikkim Gold Cup also known as the Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup is an Indian football tournament held in Sikkim organized by the Sikkim Football Association (SFA). It was first held in 1986, with Mohun Bagan being crowned as the first ever champions. The mariners with eight titles to their name are also the most successful team of the tournament.
Nigerian Kingsley could not travel with the team due to work permit issue, while youngstar Azharuddin Mallick has been rested for the tournament, reported xtratime.
Meanwhile, Bagan’s new overseas recruits- former Aizwal striker Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka, midfielders SK Faiyaz and Dipendu Dowary, defender Rana Gharami and goalkeeper Shankar Roy – all of who played for Mohammedan sporting Club in the CFL joined the team training session this week. Two other foreigners Australian defensive midfielder Diogo Ferreira and Japanese midfielder Yuta Kinowaki, who replaced countrymen Katsumi yusa were also seen practising with the team.
The Green and Maroon brigade who finished behind arch-rivals East Bengal in the Calcutta Football League, after failing to win the all important Kolkata derby despite going ahead twice in the match will look to win the Gold Cup and gain some much needed momentum ahead of the I-League starting next month.
Shankarlal Chakraborty who just like the CFL will also coach the team in the Sikkim Gold Cup.
“The CFL is now in the past. The focus is currently on the Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup and we are preparing for that. Apart from training on the artificial turf at the Barasat Stadium, we will also be reaching Sikkim two days before our first match in order to acclimatise to the conditions,” he said, as quoted by the Times of India.
Mohun Bagan will enter directly from the knock out stages and will kick off their campaign on the 11th of October.
The squad for the Sikkim Gold Cup –
Shilton Paul (GK), Soram Anganba, (GK), K Shibinraj (GK), Arijit Bagui, Gurjinder Kumar, Abhishek Das, Bikramjeet Singh, Rana Gharami, Kingshuk Debnath, Ricky Lallawmawma, Sourav Das, Raynier Fernandez, Nikhil Kadam, Diogo Ferreira, Yuta Kinowaki, Sk Faiaz, Beikhokhei Beingaichho, Dipendu Dowary, Ansumana Kromah, Naro Hari Shrestha and Dipanda Dicka.