Rehman’s equaliser helps CFA clinch MUPC (north & N-E)

Till date,Mobasher Rehman was not so well known as far as the Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA) was concerned. But,after his performance on Friday,he no longer will be just another name. Trailing by 1-0 to MNSC Taobunghkhok (Manipur),their opponent in the final,the Chandigarh outfit were given a lifeline by Rehman. Rising higher than any other player in the box,Rehman connected well with the corner from Samuel and headed it home to find the equaliser. His goal and the winner from Amarjit ensured the UT team beat Manipur,2-1,and win their second consecutive North and North East leg of the U-15 Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC) in Jamshedpur on Friday.

At the Keenan Stadium,Rehman must have felt at home,as he was born and raised in Jamshedpur. Under the tutelage of his father,Rafique,who was the coach of the Tata Motors’ football team,Rehman developed into a fine player. While the Tata Football Academy should have been an obvious choice,Rafique had other plans: he wanted Rehman to train away from home,so that he could become tougher. So, Chandigarh became his new home. “He emerged a star in the tournament. His father must have been proud to see his son help his team win the final,” said CFA coach Sandeep Singh,while talking to Chandigarh Newsline from Jamshedpur.

In the final,his goal was instrumental,as the Chandigarh team managed to overpower the Manipur outfit that had defeated East Bengal in the semi-final. Also,for the first time in the tournament,the team conceded their first goal,while Samuel picked up his second yellow card of the tournament,which may put him out of the semi-final clash in the India finals that will be held in Goa on May 9.