I-League: East Bengal, Neroca harbour title hopes in key clash

Kolkata  :  City football giants East Bengal and debutants Neroca FC will look to secure a victory and hope other results go in their favour in order to capture the title when the two sides clash in a vital final round I-League encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Thursday.

East Bengal are desperate to end their 14-year title drought, having last won the tournament in the 2003-04 season, when it was called the National Football League (NFL).

Placed fourth in the points table with 30 points, East Bengal will have to first beat Neroca and then hope table-toppers Minerva Punjab FC (32 points) don't triumph against relegation-threatened Churchill Brothers.

Arch-rivals Mohun Bagan, placed third with 30 points, must also not win at Gokulam Kerala FC as they have a better head-to-head record against East Bengal.

It is one-step simpler for second-placed Neroca (31 points) who must ensure they first emerge victorious against East Bengal and then hope Minerva do not win against Churchill.

For the visitors, veteran India stopper Gouramangi Singh and Australian Aryn Williams are not available. While defensive mainstay Gouramangi is out injured, midfielder Williams is suspended for the vital clash has he has four yellow cards against his name.

"We are not panicking. There is no pressure. We will enjoy the game and look to win. We definitely have ambitions as we are still in with a chance of winning the I-League. But there is no pressure and we have nothing to lose," Neroca coach Gift Raikhan told IANS on the eve of the game.

Asked about East Bengal, Raikhan said the hosts will be under pressure after dropping points in the last game.

East Bengal played out a 2-2 draw away to Shillong Lajong FC in their previous outing with their Nigerian striker Dudu Omagbemi saving them the blushes with a late equaliser.

"They are a good team and everybody knows that. But East Bengal will be under pressure. They failed to win the last match and for a team of their stature it adds exra pressure. That can act to our advantage," Raikhan said.

Neroca beat Churchill at home in their previous outing and will come into the game with confidence.

East Bengal, on their part will be gutted after blowing away a golden opportunity to sharpen their chances of winning the league.

Key midfielder Syrian Mahmoud Al Amnah said although they know the chances are not as great as it was before the last game, the players will fight till the end and keep their spirits high.

"We still have chance and we will fight hard. We are not thinking about the outcome. We want to do our best.

"This is football. We had our fate in our hand in the last match but we played a tough game. Maybe we don't have a chance as good as Minerva or some other teams but we will fight till the end," Al Amnah told reporters at the end of East Bengal's practice session. 

Asked if the fact that three matches taking place at the same time will hamper concentration, Al Amna said: "We are thinking about this match. There is no point of thinking about what will happen in the other games."

East Bengal have no injury concerns or suspension issues. The last time the two sides met, it ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

All three matches will start at 3pm IST on Thursday in order to cut down chances of influencing results.