MUMBAI, JAN 13: Air-India (Mumbai) and Jagatjit Cotton Textile (JCT) Mills, Phagwara, set up a keen Coca Cola National Football League (NFL) Group A encounter tomorrow at the Cooperage, even though the need of the hour for both sides is to lift sagging morale.The Mumbai airmen have lost both games - 0-3 to newcomers Tollygunge Agragami and 0-2 to Mohun Bagan, both in Calcutta - and can ill-afford even a draw if they hope to improve on fifth position in the last league.In a desi clash between teams devoid of foreigners, JCT draw some solace with the re-entry of Deepak Kumar Mondal from a red-card suspension in the opening goalless match against defending champions Mohun Bagan in New Delhi.A 1-2 defeat against Dempo in Goa followed but coach Sukhwinder Singh must hope for a turnaround on a ground that brings back memories of a Rovers Cup triumph two seasons ago.Sukhwinder Singh is guiding a team ravaged by the exodus of stars en masse over the last couple of seasons. From winners in the inaugural league, the Punjab side slipped to seventh in the last edition. A young side, comprising several students, now attempt to haul the former Punjab champions to a position of respectability.Bimal Ghosh, voted best coach at the last league, pits wits against Sukhwinder Singh, who received the honour at the first NFL as similarities abound. Both sides depend on cohesion that a combined team effort brings.Air-India could boast of a lone star - mid-fielder Godfrey Pereira. But JCT - the Vijayans, Chapmans and Ancheris long departed - will hope to set new NFL stars in striker Hardeep Singh Saini and ex-TFA Dipankar Roy while relying on mid-field general Ram Pal and defender Tarsem Lal. The return of goalkeeper Virender Singh from Churchill Brothers must bring some cheer.Air-India are smarting from problems in defence stemming from injury. Burly mid-fielder Jacinto D'Silva is injured and Ghosh will be without two fine stoppers. The promising Debadas Sen has a knee jerk and Sandeep Kharat has a painful ankle.Ghosh, however, reposes faith in a sparkling attack that includes Anthony Fernandes, Nitin Shetty and Abbas Ali Rizvi with the onus on Khalid Jamil who has impressed.But goalkeeping turned out to be a sob story with the erratic Yusuf Ansari blundering in the opener against Tollygunge while conceding a soft goal. Going by Ansari's form, Shyam Sawant must fancy his chances of playing a major role in the matches to come.Air-India held a 1-1, 1-0 edge over JCT at the last League.
