Mohamedan Sporting Club will have their task cut out when they take on high-flying Minerva Punjab FC in the final of the U-13 Youth League at the Vidyasagar Stadium in Barasat on Tuesday.
Minerva have been brilliant en-route to the final.
Like their U-15 team which got the better of DSK Shivajians to clinch the U-15 Youth League title and their senior counterparts which clinched the I-League trophy defying all odds, the U-13 colts have also done well to reach the summit clash.
But in Mohamedan Sporting Club, they will have a tough opponent who have not only performed well this far but also have the home advantage.
Having stunned SAI East Zone 2-0 in the semi-final, Mohamedan Sporting Club will have to administer an even greater shock in order to deny the Minervans the trophy, who grounded high-flying Sudeva FC 5-0 to book their place in the final.
Mohammedan SC like to play counter-attacking football, as they soak up pressure for long periods before launching the ball forward to their speedy attackers up front.
This, especially, suits the midfield mainstay Mohammed Zeedan to a tee, as well as Sujay Budhuk and Nabakumar Santra, all of whom use their pace to occupy space behind the opponents.
Led by Irfan Mondal, Wasid Ali, Aftab Ali and Anisur Rahaman, the Mohammedan SC backline should give Minerva problems throughout the match.
“Tomorrow’s game is extremely important because we want to win and crown our efforts. It will be premature to say how we would approach the match but I can say it will be a good game. Everything is possible on the field and if it needs us to play our best football in the tournament we will”, Mohammedan SC coach Ananta Kumar Ghosh said.
“We respect Minerva because they are good that is why they made it to the final but we have a good group of players which is ready to get us the win.
“We have good players with good qualities and we have to show that in the final. Despite the Minerva team being strong we have what it takes to win and keep the trophy here.
“If we can win this one then it will be huge for our fans. We want to do it for them,” Ghosh added.
On the other hand, Minerva’s dominance in the tournament has been unmatched, outscoring opponents by a 19-1 margin.
The Anthony Andrews-coached side has based their game on a solid defence that hasn’t conceded since their final round opener against BBFS.
With only one goal conceded, the Minervas have the meanest defence and rely on the brilliance of Tongbram Maheron Singh up front to make it to the final.
Though Maheron has deservedly taken many of the plaudits in the tournament, Longjam Swami Singh and Himanshu Jangra have often been just as important to many of Minerva’s winning efforts.
