Mohun Bagan outplay Calcutta Customs 2-0 to win Calcutta Football League after eight years
Ending East Bengal’s nine-year dominance in the Calcutta Football League, Mohun Bagan has managed to win the tournament with a game in hand. Bagan, who will play Mohammedan Sporting in their last game, defeated Calcutta Customs 2-0 thanks to a Kisekka brace to land their 30th CFL title.
Mohun Bagan FC is one the stalwarts of Indian football but have seen a steady decline in recent years due to the emergence of other domestic teams like Bengaluru FC, Aizawl FC among others. East Bengal FC, a direct rival of Mohun Bagan on the other hand, has capitalised on the latter’s lack of results to dominate the domestic footballing scene, at least in the state of West Bengal.
However, MBFC managed to put an end to East Bengal’s nine-year dominance as they defeated Calcutta Customs 2-0 to win the Calcutta Football League with one game to spare. This is the 30th time that the oldest club in India has won the tournament.Â
Mohun Bagan looked in complete control right from the start as they played in front of a full-capacity home crowd. Henry Kisekka found the back of the net in the fourth minute itself after beautifully chest-trapping Arijit Bagui's long ball from the right flank.
The green and maroon brigade totally dominated the first half and rarely gave their rivals time on the ball. Cameroonian footballer - Dipanda Dicka had an off day at the office and he wasted two gilt-edged opportunities to score Bagan's second goal.
However, Dicka made up for his misses as he played in Kisekka just outside the six-yard box who calmly slotted the ball beyond Suvam Sen's reach at the
MBFC achieved this feat after a gap of eight years having last won it back in 2009. Since then, East Bengal has won all the next editions of the tournament for nine consecutive years. East Bengal is the most successful team in the tournament, having clinched the CFL title 39 times.
Mohun Bagan will next take on Mohammedan Sporting in their last fixture of the tournament at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata on September 18.