Mohun Bagan are to face NEROCA on Sunday afternoon at the Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal. The Mariners are placed fourth on the table with 21 points and are not part of the title race.
Their opponents, NEROCA lead the standings with 31 points as they play their penultimate of the season.
“We are not in the race for the championship. But, we are trying to finish in a good position. If they Super Cup does happen, then we have to finish in the top four. Mohun Bagan is not only a football club, it is an institution, and we have self-respect and prestige. For these reasons, we have to play our best,” said coach Sankar Lal Chakraborty.
The Green and Maroons have picked a point from their last two matches and coach Chakraborty opines that his team didn’t have luck on their side.
“We have had discussions regarding this. We played good but luck was not on our side. We missed penalties, hit the posts, missed chances but there is no point to dwell on that as we have no home games left. We have to concentrate on the away games, play well and target maximum points.
“There is no light mood in the camp. When you play for a team like Mohun Bagan, always there is pressure. It doesn’t matter if you are in the title race or not. When I was a player for Mohun Bagan, in 1996 we won an exhibition match here in Imphal. I have lots of friends here as Manipur is like family,” he mentioned.
NEROCA will play their final home game and are in desperate need for points in order to extend their lead at the top of the table.
“NEROCA FC is playing very well at home. It is a Sunday and their last home game. There will be lots of supporters and they are in the race as well. So we have come prepared to fight them both on and off the field. With the vocal support (they will enjoy), it will be a tough game. They gave good foreigners and with the Indians like Subash Singh, Saran Singh and Sushil Singh, they have a good side,” said Chakraborty.
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