On Tuesday at Naihati Stadium in an I-League fixture, Churchill Brothers took an unexpected lead against Mohammedan Sporting, when Stendly Fernandes scored. The Black-and-White fans grew tense. Any slip-up by the I-League leaders would mean another year of wait to qualify for the Indian Super League (ISL).
Mohammedan Sporting’s head coach, Andrey Chernyshov, remained calm, along with other officials and reserve players in the dugout. They looked confident of a comeback. And, they did that in a 3-2 win. Now, Mohammedan Sporting have five games remaining. It will be difficult to dislodge them from the top, considering that nearest rivals Sreenidi Deccan FC are eight points behind, with six matches to play.
Eddie Hernandez scored a brace to make it 2-1 before halftime. Although Martin Chaves equalised from the spot, Lalremsanga Fanai netted the winner to extend Mohammedan Sporting’s unbeaten run to seven games. Most importantly, it made sure that they stay on course for this unprecedented glory.
Mohammedan Sporting were the first Indian team to win the Calcutta Football League, in 1934. In 1936, they became the first team to clinch the League and the IFA Shield in the same season. Their dominance continued with back-to-back League victories in 1937 and 1938. At that time, Mohammedan was the only Indian club financially stable to meet player requirements related to training and kits.
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Their fitness levels matched those of the British teams, and their popularity soared after a historic Durand Cup Triumph in 1940, defeating a British regimental team. They were the first Indian club to win a historic triplet — Calcutta League, Rovers Cup, Durand Cup — in 1940. In 1941, they secured the Calcutta League-IFA Shield double.
A club so rich in history had a prolonged meltdown. Until a few years ago, for at least a couple of decades, Mohammedan Sporting struggled to keep the football team afloat. They were just filling up the numbers. The bad patch included a demotion to the second division of I-League in 2013-14. It took them six years to come back. The fans did not abandon the club, but the performances offered little to cheer them up.
Of late, things have become a lot better. It started under the leadership of Sk. Wasim Akram, a former Secretary General of the club. That was when Mohammedan Sporting embarked on a historic venture with the Gurugram-based sports management company, Bunkerhill, in October 2020. With better and consistent funding, ISL became the goal.
This good work has been kept up. Despite setbacks and narrow misses, Mohammedan Sporting have done well in the I-League. After the appointment of Russian Chernyshov as head coach in 2021-22, they have raised their standards and did not let it dip.
Under the present dispensation of president Md Kamaruddin, secretary general Ishtiaque Ahmed and former striker Dipendu Biswas in the role of football secretary and team manager, they have made steady progress. This includes winning the Calcutta League after 40 years.
After finishing second and eighth in the last two I-League seasons, Mohammedan Sporting look good to seal this one for the first time. With 44 points from 19 games, they have an imposing lead. But, as they say, you don’t count your chickens before they hatch!