Bhubaneswar: Mohun Bagan Super Giant and FC Goa, the two top sides in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season, will go head-to-head at the Kalinga Stadium in the semifinal of the Kalinga Super Cup here on Wednesday.
FC Goa have reached the semifinals after two victories, a breezy 3-0 defeat of Gokulam Kerala FC, followed by a nerve-wracking 2-1 comeback win over Punjab FC on Saturday. Manolo Marquez now stands two wins away from his first silverware with FC Goa.
The Spaniard believes Mohun Bagan have ‘nothing to lose’ and despite them not having a full-strength squad available for the Super Cup, it will be a very difficult game. “Everyone knows that you have to win four games to be the champion. Every game is very difficult. Winning a trophy is very important,” said Marquez.
FC Goa are billed as favourites for this clash, owing to their full strength, but Márquez emphasised that the number of foreign players is not an indication of a team’s strength, citing examples from the Kalinga Super Cup so far.
“Mohun Bagan are here with half the squad of the main team, and the other half were champions of the Reliance Foundation Development League two weeks ago. I think that the game will be very difficult because they have nothing to lose. This is the reality. They have already won two trophies. They already have the slot for the Asian competition.
“During this (2025) Kalinga Super Cup, Mumbai (City) played with only one or two foreigners, and they beat Chennaiyin, who played with all six. We were very close to losing to Punjab, who played with only two foreigners. Obviously, the foreigners are important. But the Indian players of Mohun Bagan are very good. People think that the team with more foreigners are the favourites, but that doesn’t matter,” the Spaniard said.
After a record-breaking league campaign, winning the ISL Shield and Cup, and already booking a place in next season’s AFC Champions League Two, Mohun Bagan SG travelled to Bhubaneswar with a young squad for what coach Bastab Roy labelled as an ‘exposure trip’.
The Mariners left Kerala Blasters FC stunned, beating them 2-1 in the quarterfinals, and are just two wins away from a domestic treble.
FC Goa, who finished second in the ISL, however, will be a tougher task than the Blasters, according to Roy. The Gaurs were one of the only two sides to beat them during the regular season.
“FC Goa are, without a doubt, a better and stronger team than Kerala Blasters. So my job is not easy. But my players are focused and ready. It’s an exposure trip for the young boys and some seniors as well. It’s a semi-final and I’ve told my boys to enjoy the game,” said Roy in the pre-match press conference.
Mohun Bagan certainly did enjoy their outing against the Blasters on Saturday, with Salahudheen Adnan K, being the highlight performer. The 21-year-old bagged an assist and picked up the Kalinga Player of the Match award.
But Roy tried to tone down the buzz, stressing that it’s important for the youngsters to keep their focus on the next game and put on consistent performances. He also stated that game-by-game is the way to go in knockout tournaments.
“We can’t judge players with one match. Let’s not hype the boys too much because they are very young. Let them play.
“We’re not thinking about being champions right now. Winning the first match was good for us because we now have one more chance. Obviously, it’s a semifinal, and if we win, we will get a chance to play the final, and then we’ll think of being the champions,” Roy added.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs FC Goa will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar at 4:30 PM IST. It will be broadcast on the Star Sports network and live-streamed on Jio Hotstar.
(IANS)
