For Mohun Bagan Super Giant, bad news came before kick-off. Worse was to follow. Inside two minutes they were trailing 1-2 from leading 1-0 and then Odisha FC scored again. 3-1 eventually became 5-2 and after their second successive defeat, Mohun Bagan’s hopes of advancing from Group D of AFC Cup were torn to ribbons. This time at a stage earlier than the past two seasons when they had made the inter-zonal play-off after winning the group.
Through goals from Roy Krishna (30), Diego Mauricio (32), Cy Goddard (41), Aniket Jadhav (90+2) and Isak Vanlalruatfela (90+5) after Hugo Boumous’s 17th minute strike, Odisha FC, newbies at this level and winners of the Super Cup, live. They had begun 2023 AFC Cup with two defeats including a 0-4 loss to Mohun Bagan.
Kiyan Nassiri’s 63rd minute header wasn’t enough to pull Mohun Bagan back and now, if Odisha FC beat Bashundhara Kings, who came from behind to win 2-1 at home against Maziya Sports and Recreation earlier in the evening, they could advance. This was the third time in the last two years and the first under Juan Ferrando that Mohun Bagan had shipped five or more.
Since the merger of ATK with Mohun Bagan, a union between ISL and I-League champions, in 2020, principal owner Sanjiv Goenka had stated that his aim was to win in India before expanding the club’s influence in Asia. As ATK Mohun Bagan, they played an ISL final and won it last season beating Bengaluru FC on penalties. That night in Goa, ATK Mohun Bagan became Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Mohun Bagan buttressed a star-studded roster with Anirudh Thapa, Anwar Ali, Jason Cummins and Armando. Their record in the AFC Cup? 0-6 to FC Nasaf in 2021, 1-3 to Kuala Lumpur in 2022 and now this.
Till two games ago, things were going swimmingly for Mohun Bagan. But their inability to protect the lead in three successive games meant they are now third in the group on seven points, two behind Odisha FC. Going into the home tie against current leaders Bashundhara Kings, Mohun Bagan were on top of the group after two wins. But twice they couldn’t hold on to the lead and the team from Bangladesh forced a 2-2 draw in Bhubaneswar, the match being moved from Kolkata because of Durga Puja. This was followed by another comeback by Bashundhara, this time winning 2-1 in Dhaka after trailing through Liston Colaco’s goal.
It was Colaco who had kept Mohun Bagan’s hopes alive on Monday. This reversal may cost coach Juan Ferrando his job but he deserves credit for bringing Colaco back to near his best after a poor 2022-23. Seventeen minutes in, Colaco took Subhasish Bose’s pass deep in his half while hugging the left touchline. He dribbled past two players and drove infield and found Asish Rai even as he was pushed from behind. Rai swung from right to left and Odisha FC’s central defender Narender Gahlot headed it into the path of Hugo Boumous. Hugo Boss, a tifo had been unveiled before kick-off at Salt Lake stadium. Boumous cut inside and fired Mohun Bagan ahead.
Boumous found Cummings, who played in the 2022 World Cup, soon after on the break but the Australian forward’s pass was intercepted. Mohun Bagan were in control even though they hadn’t really tested Amrinder Singh.
The equaliser came from a patient probe on Mohun Bagan’s left side and after Rai’s headed clearance to Jerry Mawihmmingthanga’s header fell kindly for Krishna to stab home. A former Mohun Bagan player, Krishna did not celebrate after scoring. Two minutes later, it was 2-1 from a set-piece routine so well worked that it could have been a hat-tip to the late Terry Venables whose teams were known for being cheeky from free-kicks.
Ahmed Jahou found Krishna who had escaped the attention of Mohun Bagan’s defence and he played square for Maurico to tap home. Mohun Bagan’s inability to fall back in time led to Mauricio finding Goddard and the Japanese forward scored after sending Glan Martins chasing down the wrong alley.
Needing three goals to stay alive, Mohun Bagan introduced Nassiri and the young forward scored with a smashing header. Colaco and Sahal Abdul Samad banged into the horizontal and as Mohun Bagan kept pushing up, they left enough space for Odisha to sucker punch twice.
