Tag: Mohammedan Sporting Club

by India Footy

Philip Adjah Overrated?

KOLKATA: When Mohammedan Sporting Club signed Philip Adjah Tetteh in August last year, everybody wondered why Black Panthers signed this relatively unknown forward. Weeks later it didn’t take long for people to witness Adjah’s talent, he has a blueprint of promise all over his meticulous moves.

Adjah is a wonderfully gifted technician, capable of scoring some truly incredible goals; just look at his goals against East Bengal in September 2018. The striker is much more than just the target man he is made out to be, constantly working hard and bringing the whole team into the game with his hold-up play.

Joining Mohammedan SC as a relatively unknown quantity, the Ghanaian forward has been in truly devastating form this season with coach Raghunath Nandy obtaining the best from of his star forward. But the facts must be told on this fairytale story.

Adjah is a clear example of how statistics can be deceiving. Despite scoring 22 goals from 24 appearances in all compositions this season, he is yet to prove himself on the big stage.

In fact, barring his goals against East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division League, most of the goals by this controversial striker has came against inferior teams such as BSS Sporting Club, Oil India Dhulijan and Assam State Electricity Board in nondescript tournaments such as Bordoloi Trophy, Bodoland Martyrs Gold Cup and GTA Chairman’s Gold Cup. He must start scoring goals against stronger oppositions.

If Adjah is to be considered for a big-money move to one of Indian football’s elite clubs in future, he desperately needs to improve his behaviour off the field. He is making headlines for all the wrong reasons in the recent past as the striker regularly plays unauthorized football tournaments for local teams to earn quick money despite being under contract with Mohammedan Sporting. He also seems to have some serious attitude problem, we often read reports about his altercations with Mohammedan Sporting officials causing due to his alleged arrogant and unprofessional behaviour and was even deemed as a toxic presence in the dressing room.

With Mohammedan Sporting once again aspiring for the I-League promotion, Adjah doesn’t seem to be the man that will help them get to the promised land. In fact he is not half the player that people think he is.

by India Footy

Philip Adjah: We want to win every game

DARJEELING: Ghanaian front-man Philip Adjah Tetteh admits that there is an expected pressure that comes with playing for a big club like Mohammedan Sporting Club.

The 20-year-old was signed by the Black Panthers in August during 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ campaign and has made a huge impact since, bagging 16 goals and assisting a further five from 16 appearances in all competitions.

Adjah, who joined Mohammedan SC from Ghana Division Two side Bafali Sporting Club, says he enjoys playing under pressure as it gives him an edge, while it helps to improve his game.

“Big clubs are demanding‚ we want to win every game. We are not here to sit and relax‚ we are here to win.” Adjah said.

“The minute I signed for Mohammedan SC I felt the pressure; there is so much expected of the club. But it’s sometimes nice to play with the pressure, because it means you don’t relax and it helps you to become a better player.”

“I don’t remember the last time we played without pressure. If you want to play without pressure, you have to sit at home and watch it on television. There is always pressure.” He added.

by India Footy

Mohammedan Sporting in talks with former East Bengal midfielder

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club are reportedly in talks with former East Bengal midfielder Mahmoud Al Amna for the forthcoming 2018/19 2nd Division League.

A source close to the club has revealed to IndiaFooty that talks are underway between Amna’s representative and Mohammedan Sporting officials about securing his services, however, the club have vowed not to break the bank for the Syrian.

The 35-year-old was recently parted ways with East Bengal by mutual consent after he failed to recover from his injury, sustained during East Bengal’s pre-season in Malaysia and was out of action since the beginning of the 2018/19 I-League. However, it appears like Amna has found a new home in Kolkata.

Although Amna has claimed in a recent interview that he is close to regaining his fitness, we have learnt that to earn a contract at Mohammedan Sporting, he will have to go though a complete medical and physical fitness test.

The Black Panthers have been rather quite in the recent past but reports surfaced that the management have been working silently but tirelessly to beef up the squad. The club have already signed Nigerian striker Eze Stanley from Calcutta Customs.

by India Footy

Minerva Punjab interested in Ghanaian striker

KOLKATA: IndiaFooty has learnt that Minerva Punjab FC have placed a mouth-watering offer for Mohammedan Sporting Club front-man Philip Adjah Tetteh.

Minerva Punjab are the current I-League champions and looking to put together a strong squad for their title defence.

The Ghanaian has become the target of number of clubs who were impressed by his display in the recently concluded 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ and have made enquiries about his availability, with his contract at Mohammedan Sporting Club set to expire at the end of this month.

According to an unnamed source, Minerva Punjab have approached Adjah’s agent to enquire about his availability.

“Minerva has made a big offer to Adjah, compared to what he is getting in Mohammedan,” said the source. “Everything now is left to the player to make a decision.”

The 20-year-old joined Mohammedan Sporting Club midway through the Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’, where he since went on to steal the hearts of the Black Panthers faithful, having netted four goals in six appearances.

Meanwhile, Mohammedan Sporting Club is also pushing hard for Adjah to extend his stay with the club.

by India Footy

Philip Adjah yet to sign new deal with Mohammedan

KOLKATA: News reaching to IndiaFooty is that Mohammedan Sporting Club is pushing for Philip Adjah Tetteh to extend his stay with the Raghu Nandi-coached side.

The Ghanaian front-man will see his contract with Black Panthers expire at the end of this month and while he has been offered an extension at the club, he has not yet put pen to paper on the new deal.

Mohammedan Sporting Club have a host of players whose contracts come to an end this month, including Adjah, Lancine Toure, Bazie Armand, Arup Debnath, Prosenjit Paul, Dipendu Dowary and Tonmoy Ghosh.

But the Black Panthers hierarchy believes that unless an I-League move materialises for any of these players, they are likely to renew their contracts with the Kolkata giants.

Specifically about Adjah, a source close the club was more hopeful than certain that the 20-year-old will extend his relationship with the club.

Adjah joined Black Panthers halfway through the recenlty concluded 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ where he ended up being club’s top scorer with 4 goals in 6 appearances.

by India Footy

CFL 2018/19: Mohammedan edge Customs to finish campaign

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club overcame Calcutta Customs 1-0 in their last match of the 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ at Barasat Stadium on Saturday. The result meant Mohammedan SC ended their campaign with 19 points.

A second-half goal from midfielder Satyam Sharma (66th minute) proved to be the decider between the two sides.

Going into the match, Mohammedan SC technical director Raghuanth Nandi for the first time in the season opted for a 4-4-2 formation to begin with as Philip Adjah Tetteh partnered Princewill Emeka upfront.

The game started at a furious pace with Mohammedan SC‚ as expected‚ pressed high to nullify Customs’ effort to rapidly circulate the ball. It was a fascinating tactical battle although‚ at times‚ a little predictable.

Resultantly there was a lot of possession turn over and not enough in the way of scoring chances.

The first real opportunity came after 19 minutes when Customs goalkeeper Suvam Sen made a save from Princewill‚ who had done well to turn the defence and put himself into a shooting position. But the Nigerian failed to get any real power behind his shot.

On the half hour mark‚ Adjah hit a wild effort from a tight angle well off target and eight minutes later defender Lancine Toure rose unchallenged to head a free kick narrowly wide.

Customs’s only chance of the first-half fell to Stanley Ifeanyi in between the Mohammedan SC defenders but his first touch let him down and the opportunity slipped by because of poor technique.

But the half ended with a chance for Mohammedan SC as Samuel Kane attempted to clear, only to play it onto the head of Princewill but he directed the ball straight at Suvam.

Needing a goal, Mohammedan SC came out all guns blazing in the second-half as they attacked by pushing high up. The pressure paid off as Black Panthers finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute. Dipendu Dowary held off a defender on the left flank and floated in a cross to the far post finding Satyam who converted with a right footed shot to put Mohammedan SC 1-0 up.

Having taken the lead, Mohammedan SC got a much needed confidence boost and they increased their pressure up front dominating the game entirely. Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, once again it was lack of finishing that prevented a bigger scoreline as the game ended 1-0 in Mohammedan SC’s favour.

by India Footy

CFL 2018/19: Fourth spot up for grabs as Mohammedan face Customs

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will be firing with all cylinders to cap the Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ campaign on the highest note when they take on Calcutta Customs on Saturday at Barasat Stadium, kick-off at 4:30 pm.

As the 2018/19 campaign draws to an end the Black Panthers will be looking to end off with a top four finish. Mohammedan SC are currently on fourth position in the league table with 16 points from 10 matches. While their opponents Customs are on eighth with 13 points from 9 matches.

Mohammedan Sporting Club head into the game on the back of a 2-1 defeat against Mohun Bagan and Technical Director Raghunath Nandi has ruled out making drastic changes to his side for tomorrow’s clash.

“We are looking to field a stable squad as we have had good results with these players, so there won’t be many changes,” said Nandi.

“We always want to finish as high as possible on the table, now that the third spot is out of reach we would like to maintain our position at fourth.” he added.

“Boys showed tremendous heart in every game and I am proud of the team that we have reached this far. However, By Mohammedan Sporting Club standards, we didn’t do well and failed to meet our objectives. There were too many unnecessary errors we could have avoided, but it’s gone and we cannot change it. We need to look forward and rectify our mistakes so we can deliver.” Nandi said reflecting back upon the team’s performance in the league.

Meanwhile, Nandi predicts tough test for Mohammedan Sporting Club against Customs. “They are a difficult team to predict,” comments Nandi. “We have to go there mindful of the threat they pose.”

“They are fighting relegation so it won’t be an easy game. But as I have said in the past, here in Mohammedan Sporting Club my aim is to win every game, so even in the last game my team will be going all out for full three points. Tomorrow’s match is a crucial one as a win will give us a better chance to finish at top four,” he concluded.

by India Footy

Minerva Punjab interested in Mohammedan defender

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club defender Lancine Toure has attracted interest from the reigning I-League champions, Minerva Punjab, who are believed to be keen on adding him to their roster for the forthcoming campaign.

The Chandigarh-based side is said to have been impressed with what they saw in the centre-back during the ongoing Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’.

The news of Minerva’s interest in the Ivorian player has been confirmed to the IndiaFooty by a source close to Mohammedan Sporting Club, who added that Minerva Punjab is keen to sign the 23-year-old.

“Minerva Punjab is interested in Lancine Toure. The club was impressed with what they saw from the player in the ongoing Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’,” said the source.

Toure’s contract with Mohammedan Sporting Club is set to expire on September 30, 2018.

by India Footy

CFL 2018/19: Mohammedan fight for pride against Mohun Bagan

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club attempt to salvage some pride from a disappointing Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ campaign when they take on newly crowned champions Mohun Bagan on Tuesday at Saltlake Stadium, kick-off 4:30 pm.

Although Mohun Bagan may have already annexed the title with a game left to play, their clash with nemesis Mohammedan SC will not be devoid of the usual fireworks.

For a side that has won the league, there will be no need for Sankarlal Chakraborty’s men to go beyond the call of duty to win the battle on Tuesday. However there is pride to preserve for Mariners.

Their opponents are also bracing themselves for a tough time. Black Panthers technical director Raghunath Nandi and striker Philip Adjah Tetteh believe Mohun Bagan will remain dangerous even though they have nothing to gain.

“A derby is always a derby. Nobody wants to lose. They want to show that they are the champions. We want to give our fans something to cheer for and we are also playing for the club’s pride.” Nandi said.

“Even, though, they have won the league I am sure they aren’t going take their foot off the gas. When you play Mohun Bagan, there’s always a lot of pride involved and bragging rights, I think they will come all out,” he added.

Mohammedan SC’s last league match saw them go down 2-1 against Tollygunge Agragami, but it was a game Nandi thought they should have won, “It was frustrating because everyone tried their hardest. We didn’t take our chances in that game, but we can’t let that happen against Mohun Bagan.”

Ghanaian forward Adjah, who is excepted to torment Mohun Bagan’s rearguard tomorrow, says Black Panthers will give of their best to preserve their dented dignity and take the bragging rights in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.

“It still remains a big game even though it may have very little aptness. We are playing for our pride and integrity. We play for our supporters. We have to give it our best shot as we always do,” said Adjah.

Though Adjah is happy to score against Tollygunge but feels he could have done a whole lot more for the team.

“It’s always a good feeling as a striker to get your name on the score-sheet, but I wish I could have scored more for the team and helped more. Football can be a cruel game, sometimes you play your heart out but you can’t get the result. We must raise our level after our poor performance. We must be competitive without the fear of failure,” he added.

On the team news front, Mohammedan SC have no noteworthy injury problems and Nandi has a full squad at his disposal with skipper Lancine Toure returning from a one-match suspension that caused him to miss the clash against Tollygunge.

by India Footy

CFL 2018/19: Black Panthers take aim at Tollygunge

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club takes aim at Tollygunge Agragami in their upcoming 2018/19 Calcutta Premier Division ‘A’ match, as they look to maintain their late found form.

Black Panthers head into Saturday’s encounter at Barasat Stadium in good spirits after recording a 2-1 win over East Bengal earlier this week which has seen them move up to fourth place in the league standings with 16 points from 8 fixtures.

However, Mohammedan SC technical director Raghu Nandi is not getting carried away with their latest win over East Bengal and called on his side to ensure the focus doesn’t waver as he stressed the importance of maintaining their winning run.

“The boys have been turning up with some very good performances but I still think there’s so much we need to do better and improve on,” said Nandi.

“We are hoping to continue with our winning run and it should be a good habit for us to pick up wins consistently.”

“We aim for a top two finish and it’s very much possible. To ensure this dream we must get three points from our remaining matches. We are going to try harder and achieve this goal we had since the start of the season,” he added.

On the other hand, Tollygunge are on 10th place with just four points from 9 outings. Tomorrow’s fixture is thus a crucial one for them as they desperately need a win in their remaining two games in order to survive in the top flight.

“Tollygunge will go all out for a win. So we need to be patient and stay strong defensively. We have to continue playing as we have played so far but with more spirit and enthusiasm.” Nandi concluded.

Mohammedan SC, going into the match, would hope Bazie Armand to man the midfield and ensure they come out as victors. The Ivorian’s ability to stop the opponent and initiate their moves will be vital for Black Panthers.

Ghanaian striker Philip Adjah Tetteh will be a focal point in the match as he helped the club to register a win over East Bengal having scored a second-half brace coming from the bench.

Nonetheless, Nandi is reluctant to put too much pressure on the 20-year-old, and despite his heroics Adjah might still find his place on the bench.

Meanwhile, Mohammedan SC will be without their inspirational skipper Lancine Toure, who sits out the match with a suspension. Though Nandi admits Toure’s absence is a blow to his side, but he believes the squad has the depth required to overcome Tollygunge.