Mohun Bagan target win in opening three home I-League matches

Indian football giants Mohun Bagan want to make the most of their opening three home I-League matches, coach Sanjoy Sen said on Thursday.

Mohun Bagan take on Churchill Brothers in their first I-League match at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium on Sunday. They next host Shillong Lajong FC on January 13 and Minerva Punjab FC on January 17.

"We will have to garner the maximum points from our home matches. Our target will be to win all the three matches at home before we leave to play the two away matches," Sen told reporters after practice at the club ground here.

"There will be expectation from all spheres. As a coach my job will be to see that my players do not get complacent. We all want to win back the I-League. We have to work harder to achieve it. The ride will not be a smooth one, as there will be bad times but we have to overcome it," he added.

Mohun Bagan will sport four stars on their jersey, just above their club emblem, this season signifying their four national league titles.

Brazil-born Equatoguinean defender Eduardo Soares Ferreir joined the squad for the tournament on Thursday.

"I see the Indian players here are quite good. I played against most of them in the Indian Super League. I know the captain (Yusa Katsumi) as I played two matches against him. He is a good player and has tremendous energy," the FC Pune City player said.

"I like those type of players who can run for ninety minutes. I also played against Jeje (Lalpekhlua) when I was in FC Pune City. I told him at practice that I will kick you if you score against me," Eduardo said light-heartedly.

The Brazilian scored a stunning goal against Mohun Bagan custodian Debjit Mazumder in Pune's 2016 ISL match against Atletico de Kolkata (ATK). He was later rushed to a hospital after colliding with Mazumder while scoring the goal.

Recollecting the incident, he said, "I remember it. I was rushed out of the ground on a stretcher after I collided with him. My vision was blacked out for sometime but later I recovered and continued playing," the 33-year old said.

--IANS

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