Sweet Revenge…

The Nigerian striker was ridiculed and vilified after wasting five sitters in Bagan’s last match against Kalighat. Today,Chidi bounced back like nobody’s business and etched his name on the record books. For the first time in the history of this great rivalry,someone has scored four goals in a match. Bhaichung Bhutia’s hat-trick against Mohun Bagan in the 1997 Federation Cup semi-final was the previous best. A new star is born in Kolkata football.

The man of the moment was calm and collected even after such a big performance. The controlled jigs after his goals and a short prayer after the match summed up his self-confidence. Perhaps he wanted to recollect his emotions in tranquility.

“I was confident of scoring goals in this match. The misses in the last match made me more determined. After I scored the first goal,I had a gut feeling that I was going to score a few more. During the break,when the scoreline was 3-3,I told my coach not to worry,because I would be scoring more. In fact,this has happened to me throughout my career. After an off day I usually come up with a good performance. I dedicate the goals to my mother and wife,” said Chidi.

Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa was all praise for his striker. “He (Chidi) is a great striker,because he is always in the position to score. I am very happy for him. He has answered his critics,” Bencherifa said. “I told him that he had pocketful of goals which he should bring out in the derby. He would score many more in the future,” the coach added.

The Moroccan coach was happy to present the fans with something to savour. “I knew the history. Five was the magic number for millions of fans and the scoreline brings joy to them. But from a coach’s point of view,I am more happy to get three vital points and move up in the league standings,” said Bencherifa.

Coming into the match,all the spotlight was on Bhutia. The star striker was super-charged for this game as he said that it was going to be one of the “most important matches” of his career.

Little did he know that fate would frown upon him. An apparently innocuous tackle by his team mate Wasim Feroz on the match eve aggravated his hamstring injury and rendered him hors de combat. Bhutia missed the big match,Chidi became the night’s big star instead.

The match also saw many firsts in a derby. For the first time,eight goals were scored in a Bagan-East Bengal encounter,the previous record being a 4-3 result in favour of the green-and-maroons in a Calcutta Football League match in 2007. For the first time,six goals were scored in the first half. Add to this,Chidi’s personal record.

The Nigerian will never walk alone in Bagan colours.

East Bengal fan suffers heart attack
Shambhu Hazra,an East Bengal supporter,couldn’t stand the humiliation and suffered a heart attack while watching the match at the YBK. He was admitted to NRS Hospital and his condition was said to be critical. In 1975,after Bagan’s loss,a fan,Uma Shankar Palodhi,had committed suicide.

I should quit,says Bhowmick

East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick said he should quit the job taking moral responsibility of the 5-3 hiding against Mohun Bagan at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) on Sunday. “Being the coach of the side,the entire responsibility is mine. I should (quit) but nobody (in the team management) has told me to leave,” Bhowmick told reporters after the loss in their fourth round I-League encounter.

Bhowmick said he missed Bhaichung Bhutia who pulled out in the morning due to a hamstring pull. “Things would have been different if Bhutia was there. But he could not play and we had to take a decision to omit him from the line-up,” he said.

East Bengal’s football secretary Santosh Bhattacharya,however,said that they would call an emergent meeting very soon to dissect the result.

Bagan complains to AIFF over line-up change

Meanwhile,Mohun Bagan took objection to East Bengal’s last minute change in the line-up bringing in Mitrovic Srecko in place of Bhaichung Bhutia and complained to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) about the matter. “How can they change an 18-member team in the last minute? We want a clarification from the AIFF,” Mohun Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra said.

(ENS)