Kolkata
Having lost their group games, Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting and Odisha FC face must-win group games, kicking off the second week in the 132nd Durand Cup tournament with Mohammedan taking on Indian Navy Football Team in Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK).
That Group B game on Friday will be followed by a clash between Odisha FC (OFC) and Rajasthan United FC (RUFC) in Group F at Kokrajhar’s SAI Stadium in the evening.
While Wadoo will be hoping that key forward Beneston Barretto is back fit, that Argentinian Alexis Gomez starts firing, and that Ghanian Prince Opoku can get on to goal-scoring form, INFT will be depending on former Mohun Bagan center-back Dalraj Singh, to lead the resistance. That can then enable their talented players upfront like P.M. Britto and Shreyas V.G. to maybe take their opportunities and give INFT a win.
Tough for Odisha against Rajasthan United. Young players like Niraj Kumar in goal, captain Rakesh Oram and Raisen Tudu did show some of that potential and it remains to be seen how they match up to a well-rounded and confident Rajasthan side, articulated aptly in the words of their captain Hardik Bhatt ahead of the game. William Pauliankhum got on board for RUFC in their first game and coach Pushpendra Kundu would ideally be eager to see his foreign striker Richardson Denzell also get into some scoring form before what could be their most important game against the Indian Army.
