I-League Football In Pandemic: AIFF and Mohammedan Sporting Have The Last Laugh

The I-League qualifiers are the first on-field sport event to take place after the Covid-19 outbreak. The event successfully took place on Monday with Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) stealing the limelight. With this victorious win, they are back in the I-League qualifiers after seven seasons.

MSC after winning three successive matches in the I-league could have wrapped their campaign with an excellent record. However, that didn’t happen as FC Bengaluru United led to a draw at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.

Both the teams put in their best effort to reach the back of the net, but none of them were successful. This finally led to a goalless draw match in the end. One draw and it crushed MSC’s dream of an all-win campaign.

Mohammedan Sporting club proved them to be unbeaten in this I-league season. This is the first time they made the I-League cut since 2013. 

The pandemic has taken a big toll on the clubs financially. But leaving aside the financial troubles, the MSC club is now under new management and has a revamped squad. This helped them fulfill their mission. They are ready to capture the I-League glory.

In the other match, Bhawanipore managed to score a 2-0 win over ARA FC. The one-day match took place in the Kalyani Stadium. The two winning goals were by Supriya Pandit and Jiten Murmu. Thanks to them for leading their team to victory.

Mohammedan Sporting Club ranked on top of the table with 10 points, followed by Bhawanipore with 9 points, Bengaluru United with 5 points and, ARA with 2 points, and Garhwal FC 1 point.

Since the matches are held amid a deadly pandemic outbreak, the All India Football Federation has arranged for a bio-secure bubble. They have also implemented strict health protocols to maintain the safety of players as well as the staff involved.

According to reports, some of the players have tested Covid positive. But AIFF is trying their best to maintain and follow all the safety measures. The outcome of their measures will reflect in the upcoming sporting events later this year.

After grabbing the champions’ trophy, MSC members organised a victory march from the stadium to the club ground.

Meanwhile, it is known that Mohun Bagan’s Spanish midfielder Fran González and Senegalese striker Papa Babacar Diawara are having talks with MSC. If this turns out to be true, they could strike a deal soon.