Forlan lights up YBK

After arriving in the stadium around 5.30 pm,Forlan kicked off the match between Mohun Bagan and Match Academy Challengers XI,a team coached by Branco in his 20-odd days stay here.

Challengers lost the 70-minute match 0-2 — Ishfaq Ahmed and Santosh Oraon scored for Bagan — but they won the hearts of the thousands of football lovers gathered to see Forlan who sat in the dug-out giving tips to the Challengers boys.

Forlan made an appearance during the break and uttered a few Bengali words. Waving to the crowd,Forlan said,“Jamiyedin-Saradin (Live up,everyday)”.

The Uruguayan star sat through the entire match and by the time he left the stadium,everybody was cheering. In between,state Sports Minister Kanti Ganguly and Mohun Bagan officials felicitated Forlan in a traditional Bengali way,giving him uttario,as the Latin American star kept on obliging the autograph-hunters.

Firecrackers lit up the YBK skyline as Forlan bid adieu to the city of football with a live performance by Bengali band,Bhoomi,who sang ‘Hare Krishna Hare Rama’.