Picture this: a big Nigerian forward, the ball glued to his
feet is bulldozing his way past all his defensive markers in a zonal system and
running towards the opposition goal with a menacing look in his face, before calmly
slotting the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper into the empty net to give his
side a 1-0 lead right before half time.
How many times have we heard commentators describe such an
action on the Ten Sports broadcast of the I-League? How many times have
Churchill Brothers fans rejoiced at the sight of the big forward running
towards them, taking in the applause after such a breathtaking finish?
If you are a Mohun Bagan fan, you probably have forgotten
these images would also come alive at the club ground in a Calcutta Football
League match or at the Yubabharati Krirangan during an I-League encounter.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, Odafa Okolie has lost most
of his balance, his composure in front of goal, his instinctive runs to get
behind the defensive third as well as his fitness and form. The sight of the
Nigerian goal machine missing goal upon goal against Rangdajied United at the
Salt Lake Stadium this Sunday was a sight that most Indian football fans are
not used to.
When Churchill Brothers won the I-League title for the first
time, Odafa was the man who carried them on his broad shoulders from start to
finish, scoring goals for fun. His performances for the Goan side were so
brilliant that Mohun Bagan made him the highest paid foreigner in the history
of Indian football and brought him to Calcutta to don the Green and Maroon
jersey.
But the story of Odafa since then has been that of a player
starved of success, unable to carry the burden of expectations of a few million
fans. And it’s not only about Odafa Okolie; there was a time in the last decade
when teams like Rangdajied United, Sporting Clube de Goa and Pune FC would
shudder at the thought of facing a star studded Mohun Bagan side.
Cut back to 2013, all three teams have won their I-League
encounters against the Kolkata giants, with Sporting and Rangdajied winning in
Calcutta.
Gone are the days of the total domination of the Bengal
clubs in all India tournaments. Whereas East Bengal still manages to compete,
Mohun Bagan has been reduced to a club of also-rans, a title that betrays the
sentiment of its millions of fans worldwide.
And if the club doesn’t take swift action, an institution
that entered folklore for its part in the independence movement of India when
it became the first Indian club to win the IFA Shield will be reduced to a
memory.
For much of its history, the Green and Maroon have competed
for the biggest honors in Indian football. It’s not for nothing that they are
still the most decorated side in domestic competitions.
But today, the club’s
fans breathe a sigh of relief when they manage to avoid relegation by the skin
of their teeth.
And this is not the result of wrong administration over the
last few years. The seeds for the downfall were sown way back in 2001 when the
club won its last National Football League title.
Unable to cope with the
internal squabbles, the club’s ruling group announced that they wouldn’t be
making a team for the new season. But fear of fan backlash forced their hand
and they put together an inferior side and this trend has continued since then.
For a club that didn’t allow foreigners to don its jersey
till 1990, Mohun Bagan gifted Indian football a legend like Jose Ramirez
Barreto. But apart from the Brazilian, and his counterpart Beto who played a
season for the Calcutta giants, Mohun Bagan have roped in third grade
foreigners over the years to fill the quota. This season’s Kenyan recruit
Harrison Eric Muranda has made it a habit to miss sitters in each and every
match.
The former Kenyan Under-21 international is not fit to play
for a relegation struggler in the Calcutta Football League, let alone for a
side that wants to compete for the major titles. But Mohun Bagan coach Karim
Bencharifa was not given the option of being able to pick his preferred foreigner
as the club officials brought in Muranda along with Ivorian Abu Kone for
trials. It’s been reported the Moroccan coach wanted a team player who could
play in varied midfield positions as well as score goals.
He had Wilson Junior of Semen Padang in his sights, a player
known as the Liberian Messi. Instead, he got Kone and Muranda. This is nothing
new though. The last few years have seen the club recruit third grade
foreigners for higher wages where as relatively better players were available. They
let Beto leave the club and brought in the likes of Diamondstar, Daniel Zeleni,
Simon Storey, Babalade and many such others to play for the prestigious
institution.
Add to that the inferior quality of players which the club
keeps on recruiting year in and year out, the situation that the club finds
itself in was expected. The club’s academy has produced several first team
players for other teams in the country, but the club officials lack the
foresight to see that bright future at their club. Naoba Singh and Vasum, both
of whom play for the club’s arch rival East Bengal are products of the Mohun
Bagan – SAIL Football Academy.
With the club officials going off on hibernation for much of
the season, only showing their faces when the fans start turning on them or
before the elections, such a situation was expected at the club. Faced with
internal squabbles, these officials are more concerned about their profits and
not the betterment of the club and the result of it are for all to see.
If the former players of the club don’t start to take up the
reigns of the club immediately, Mohun Bagan Athletic Club will be reduced to a
distant memory in a few years.
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the FootballWorld fraternity and represents the personal views of the writer and not of footballworld.co.in.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.
Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.
