Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club will face local giant Mohunbagan FC today for a semi-final spot in their last group B match at the Yuba Bharati Krirangon, Salt Lake in Calcutta.
It is a must-win match for the Dhanmondi club, who have just three points to Mohunbagan’s four. Sheikh Jamal will take the field with a foreign-based attacking line led by Haitian playmaker Sony Norde. He will play alongside compatriot Wedson Anselme and Nigerian Emeka Darlington.
All three attackers are in form, having all found the net in the last two matches.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club president Monjur Kader, who acted as the manager in the last match, was confident of a victory.
‘We lost the first match because our players were not habituated to playing on artificial turf, but in the second they adapted nicely and managed a one-sided victory over Sikkim United,’ Kader said via telephone on Friday.
‘Our players are ready to face Mohunbagan, who have a glorious history, but on the field they are not unbeatable,’ said Kader, who rewarded his players with bonuses after the win over Sikkim United and has announced a $10,000 bonus if they beat Mohunbagan.
Mohunbagan may be without Nigerian captain Okoli Odafa, who is struggling with injury.
The club have yet to confirm whether Odafa, the highest paid player in the I-League, with be available for today’s crucial match.
Meanwhile, the Indian Football Association announced that the semi-finals would be on February 11 and the final would be on February 15.
-With New Age input
