Jamie Maclaren, one of the most successful strikers in the history of Australia’s A-League and the star of last night, said it well, “I have played in the World Cup against Argentina and Messi. I have also played for several leading clubs, but when it comes to fan passion, Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) will rank right at the top of the pile.”
This was evident yesterday when Mohun Bagan played Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) final. The match was clashing with a double-header day in the IPL, and there was apprehension all round if fans would turn up to watch the football. The reality was the opposite. Tickets weren’t available and the stadium was packed to capacity with 60,000 fans cheering for their team and getting restless and tense with the score tied 1-1 till the 100th minute.
WATCH: Match Analysis in Bengali
When Maclaren scored the winner in extra time, the fans found their voice. The celebrations continued on the streets of Kolkata all night. Mohun Bagan are just the second team to win the league shield and the ISL trophy in the same season, and are now clearly the dominant side in Indian football.
“At Mohun Bagan, we don’t relent,” said coach Jose Molina, whose tactical masterstroke of bringing on Sahal Abdul Samad and Ashique Kuruniyan turned the game on its head in the second half. “Even after we win something, we celebrate for a day. The next day is again back to the grind. It is the mundane that gets you ready. Away from the media and away from all the eyeballs. We know we have a responsibility to our fans and we will get the job done.”
Also no less important is the support of the management. Football is an expensive sport and if you have to bring in quality players, you need to spend serious money. In Sanjeev Goenka, MBSG have an owner who is willing to open the purse strings and make a difference. “It is not just about winning in India,” said Goenka. “We need to make a mark at the Asian level as well. I am conscious it is not going to be easy. No Indian team has ever done so. But there is always a start and that’s our next target.”
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That’s where Mohun Bagan can make a real difference to Indian football. With Goenka, the club have the purse. The fan base is ever increasing and the passion is there for all to see. Can MBSG make a team in 2025-26 that is competitive in Asia? Can they field a competitive team in the AFC Champions League, one that can at least challenge some of the better Asian sides?
They can draw some inspiration from the team they beat in the ISL final. Back in 2016, Bengaluru FC, coached by Albert Roca beat teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia in the knockout rounds of the AFC Cup – Asia’s second-tier competition at the time – before falling to Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the final in Doha.
So far as the national team is concerned, things haven’t look good for Indian football for a while. Ranking wise, the team has gone down from 99 to 126. Post-Sunil Chhetri, there are no strikers on the horizon and Manolo Marquez, the coach, has repeatedly expressed apprehensions about the way forward.
In this scenario, Mohun Bagan come as a ray of hope. A strong club could indeed act as a stimulus and a positive spur. A good mesh of Indian and foreign stars, a manager of pedigree and an owner who is determined to make a difference – it is all finally adding up. A serious tilt at the AFC Champions League should indeed be the next goal for Goenka and his team.
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