From chokers to champions

How Churchill Brothers shed its bridesmaids' tag and won ITS maiden league title.

If you lose a title in a closely contested league once then you are called unlucky. If you lose it the second time, then questions are asked about the lack of “bottle” in a team and, the term “chokers” is whispered. And if you somehow manage to lose the title third time, as well, the tag of chokers is firmly planted on your head and not many would give you any hope of not losing it the fourth time. But Churchill Brothers managed to break the hoodoo last week to win the first I-league title.

 

After suffering the agony of losing the title on the last day on three previous occasions — 1997, 2002 and 2008 — the Goa-based club held its nerve to finish as champions for the first time in their history. The chief architect of this historic triumph was the team’s Nigerian striker Odafe Okolie, who scored 26 goals to lead his team to victory.

According to defender Gouramangi Singh, the team never thought about its past record, and just played the same way that it had been playing throughout the season. “The pressure was there but we were determined to make amends for all the missed opportunities,” says 23-year-old Singh. Going into the last game, Churchill Brothers’ team was level on points with Mohun Bagan and was required to beat Mohammedan Sporting. Once again, it was Odafe who scored two goals to make sure that the title headed to Goa.

Odafe, who is among the highest earners in the national football league, justified his wages by having an astonishing season. “He delivered every time when it was required,” says Singh. His 26 goals landed him the Golden Boot award for the third time in a row and has made him the hottest property in Indian football today. Yet the man is calm and enjoying the championship win. “Last year we were disappointed to lose the title on the last day and I just wanted to make sure that we didn’t repeat our mistakes,” he says. According to Odafe, the team spirit was just remarkable, especially because it never gave up the fight. “We had a few edgy moments earlier in the season but we had incredible belief and didn’t want to let down our fans,” adds Odafe.

Singh says that despite Odafe standing out in the match, there are a number of unsung heroes like Naoba Singh, Chitra Singh and another Nigerian, Ogba Kalu, who helped the team to its victory. “All the players played a crucial role and it’s great to see them getting rewards for their performance,” he says. Kalu, the Nigerian forward, scored a lot of crucial goals for his team, including a brace against Mohun Bagan in a must-win game.

Ironically, this season, the otherwise heavyweights of Indian football did underperform. Mohun Bagan made a late recovery to finish a respectable second, but their counterparts, East Bengal, for example, finished a shocking sixth and were never in contention of the title. Last year’s champions Dempo had an indifferent season as well. But all that doesn’t bother Singh too much. “We know we played the best football and it’s there for everyone to see,” he says. The turning point, according to Singh, was when they beat Mohun Bagan 3-1 in March this year. “That’s when we realised we could do something special,” he says. Singh also credits Serbian coach Zoran Djordevic for being a great motivator who never let the team’s shoulders drop. Djordevic, on the other hand, announced that he would be leaving the Goan club a day after winning the title. He cited reasons such as unprofessionalism in Indian club football as a primary reason.

This season’s league also underlined the fact that Goa is emerging as the new superpower in Indian football. Three Goan teams finished in the top four with Sporting Club and FC Dempo finishing third and fourth respectively. It might be too early to predict, but it seems that the days of Bengal being a dominant force in football might just be over. A lot of transfer activity is expected to happen during the summer, and most clubs will be looking to snap up players from Churchill, especially Odafe. Churchill have finally managed to shed the tag of chokers and will be looking to add more titles. “We don’t want to make this a one-off victory and yes, we want to continue to win more titles,” says Singh. Whether they do manage to replicate their success in future games remains to be seen. For now, at least, Churchill Brothers can pat themselves on the back.