Mind the gap: Mohammedan SC and East Bengal FC meet with ground to make up
The Black and Whites and the Red and Gold Brigade will battle for bragging rights in the backdrop of Mohun Bagan Super Giant's charge towards their second League Shield title in as many seasons.
Mohammedan SC and East Bengal FC are giants of Indian football. Their history speaks for itself. And so when these two teams meet, it’s always a big occasion.
Founded in 1891, Mohammedan SC have a rich history of winning big titles which has continued into the 21st century with the I-League crown being the latest addition to the list. East Bengal FC are one of the most successful clubs in the country having also won a host of international honours in the past. The recent years might not have been the most productive in terms of silverware by their standards but the club has a legacy very few clubs in the continent can match.
Thus the Kolkata derby on Sunday featuring these two great teams is one of the most significant fixtures in Asia in terms of heritage. However, in terms of the present and the immediate future, the picture isn’t the prettiest for either team.
Sat in 13th and 11th place respectively, Mohammedan SC and East Bengal FC lie deep in the bottom end of the ISL 2024-25 table. While the Black and Whites have nothing to play for on Sunday apart from local bragging rights, the Red and Gold brigade’s playoff hopes are extremely slim. Failure to win on Sunday would put to bed any of those lingering chances. Even a victory would in most likelihood just end up delaying the inevitable for East Bengal FC, a fifth straight season in the ISL without playoff qualification.
What’s making this unglorious present even more stark is the contrasting state of affairs at their joint city rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who by the time these teams kick off could be a win away from winning the League Shield for a second season in a row.
The Mariners are 35 and 28 points ahead of Mohammedan SC and East Bengal FC as things stand and the gap could widen come the end of the season.
A strange season for East Bengal FC
Full focus on Sunday's derby 🆚 Mohammedan.⚡#JoyEastBengal #ISL #MSCEBFC pic.twitter.com/JybwApOZtO
— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) February 14, 2025
The Red and Gold brigade are enduring a strange campaign which was preceded by plenty of optimism after the additions of some quality players that promised to take the Kolkata Giants beyond the playoff hurdle.
But a disastrous start under then head coach Carles Cuadrat meant that optimism drained out faster than expected. The Spaniard was dismissed and was replaced by compatriot Bruzon who steadied the ship but was troubled by injuries which prevented him from fielding any kind of settled XI.
The Red and Gold still have a chance to resurrect their campaign by having a strong finish to the ISL season which would give them the impetus they need in their Asian adventure.
East Bengal FC are in the quarter-finals of the AFC Challenge League and face Turkmenistan’s FK Arkadag in a two-legged affair in March.
The Red and Gold brigade are known to up their game when crunch knockout football comes around especially in Kolkata in front of their fans. Asian glory would go a long way in healing the disappointments of the domestic campaign that is more likely to end without qualification to the knockout stages.
The AFC Challenge League could provide the perfect tonic for East Bengal FC to cut the gap on their arch-rivals next season especially considering their squad is a whole lot better than what their league position suggests. A fresh start with reduced injury concerns on the back of a strong Asian campaign could make East Bengal FC a real force to be reckoned with next season.
Mohammedan SC’s hard lessons
For Mohammedan SC, the poor performance in this season’s ISL has all been about getting used to the new level of the league. The step up from I-League to ISL has proved to be too much for the Mohammedan SC side that would have taken plenty of lessons from the ongoing campaign which help them put a much stronger foot forward next season.
A team with a year of ISL experience under their belt plus crucial additions to the team could make Mohammedan SC a threat in the league next season. The Black and Whites faithful have been starving for optimism this season but a bit more quality and fight could reignite the zest among the fans making the Kishore Bharati Krirangan a hostile place for all visiting teams next season.
Even the current season which has seen Mohammedan SC pick up just two wins so far has plenty of positives. Their performances in a lot of these games haven’t been as disappointing as the result and if they could improve in both boxes, things could pan out very differently for Mohammedan SC next season. The likes of Alexis Gomez, Gaurav Bora And Florent Ogier have shown that they belong to this level and the Kolkata Giants could build around them for the upcoming season.
A derby has the potential to turn a team’s fortunes for good and both Mohammedan SC and East Bengal FC would be hoping to use this fixture as a springboard for their future endeavours. But whoever emerges victorious on Sunday, it will be in the green and maroon third for Kolkata where the champagne will be on ice in anticipation of another League Shield success. As for Mohammedan SC and East Bengal FC, they have ground to make up.
