Calcutta Football League: Mohun Bagan all set to rope in Diogo Ferreira

Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan have confirmed that they are in advanced talks to sign Australian born Diogo Ferreira for the 2017 Calcutta Football League (CFL) Premier Division A starting next week. 

The holding midfielder is expected to arrive in the city soon and will sign on the dotted lines, subject to a medical. The 27-year-old has represented A-League clubs such as Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory Down Under.

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Most recently, he plied his trade in the Malaysian Super League at Pulau Penang FA where he was coached by Ashley Westwood, the former Bengaluru FC head coach and currently the technical director of Bagan's Indian Super League counterparts from the city, ATK.

After Ashley Westwood was sacked within three months of failing to win a single league game, new coach Zainal Abidin Hassan took the decision to boot out Ferreira and fellow teammate Andrew Russell, citing non-performance and poor display.

The former Australian U-23 player has been a free agent since 10 May and will be looking to sign his first professional contract in India next week. 

The Green and Maroons also released a statement to inform that they had parted ways with Denson Devadas under mutual consent as head coach Shankarlal Chakraborty didn't deem him fit to feature in his plans for the CFL campaign, a title which has eluded Bagan since 2009.

Surchandra Singh (formerly of DSK Shivajians and Churchill Brothers) and Souvik Das (formerly of Pailan Arrows and Minerva Punjab FC) have also secured professional contracts for the CFL, after impressing the Bagan management in a week-long trial.

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Earlier on Saturday morning, Mohun Bagan faced off against Police AC at home in a pre-season friendly. Comprehensively beating the visitors 6-1, Liberian striker Ansumana Kromah managed a brace. Stephane Kamo Bayi, Azharuddin Mallick, Nikhil Kadam and Rohit Mirza too added their names on the scoresheet.

Nigerian defender Kingsley Eze joined his teammates for his first ever training session in Bagan colours and also featured for around ten minutes in the match. While the fixtures list for the CFL hasn't been announced yet, it is believed that the 106th edition of the league will kick-off on 12 August.