Rahul Giri in Bhubaneswar
Mohammedan Sporting suffered a humiliating 0-6 defeat at the hands of NorthEast United FC in the first pre-quarterfinal of the Kalinga Super Cup.
Alaeddine Ajaraie scored a hat-trick, while Jithin MS, Guillermo Fernandez, and Néstor Albiach netted one each, as the Highlanders tore through the Black and White Brigade’s defence.
Jithin opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, with Ajaraie doubling the lead in the 18th. Néstor and Guillermo then added to the tally as the Mohammedan failed to respond. In added-on time, NorthEast were awarded a penalty, which Ajaraie calmly converted to complete his hat-trick.
For Mohammedan Sporting, however, the heavy defeat was hardly surprising. Ongoing financial troubles once again hampered their performance. The Kolkata giants assembled their squad and began preparations three days before the tournament, with several key domestic players and most foreign signings refusing to join the team. As per club licensing and FSDL regulations, the club was obligated to send a team for the tournament or face severe sanctions.
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🚨 Alaaeddine Ajaraie scored hattrick as the highlanders thrashed Mohammedan 6-0 in the Super Cup Pre Quarter Finals. #SuperCup2025 pic.twitter.com/BVG02nQLUl
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 24, 2025
Mohammedan Sporting fielded only one foreign player — Mark Andre Schmerböck — while NorthEast had five foreigners and dominated throughout.
“They looked unfit and uncoordinated on the pitch. We didn’t train for long. We had only three training sessions before the game,” lamented Mohammedan head coach Mehrajjudin Wadoo.
“We actually didn’t have any training sessions after our last ISL game on March 11. We had just three sessions before this match. We did the best we could, but it wasn’t enough to compete against a team like NorthEast. That’s football,” he added.
Later in the day, Jamshedpur FC sent Hyderabad FC packing with a 2-0 victory. Javier Siverio opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before half-time, and Stephen Eze sealed the win in the 64th minute. Jamshedpur will face NorthEast United in the quarterfinals.
Also Read: Football Stands Still for Pahalgam: Teams in Kalinga Super Cup Show Solidarity in Silence