The Hindu : Sport / Football : East Bengal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 25, 2005

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East Bengal — only pride to play for

Amitabha Das Sharma

KOLKATA: There is nothing else to look forward except pride as Kingfisher East Bengal plays its last international match of the season on Wednesday.

Having seen its domestic season ending in a fiasco with the National Football League usurped by Goa's Dempo SC, East Bengal will look to redeem some of the lost glory taking on Turkmenistan visitor, Nebitchi, in the concluding round of the AFC Cup league at the Salt Lake Stadium here.

The continental club contest is already a closed chapter for the city giant, which is placed at the bottom of the group A table with only four points after having played five out of the six matches of the two-tier league.

Al Faysali of Jordan and Nebitchi have already confirmed the top two spots netting 11 and eight points respectively and are followed in the order by Muktijoddha Sanshad of Bangladesh and East Bengal (on four points each).

No scope

With only one match remaining for each of the teams, there is no scope for a major alteration in the league line-up, except that two teams on top and the two at the bottom can swap positions.

In this unpromising situation East Bengal can only look to avenge its 2-3 `away' defeat that it incurred visiting Balkanbad, the home of Nebitchi, in March. The host would also be trying not to finish last.

East Bengal, the quarterfinalist in the inaugural AFC Cup last year, is in a dishevelled state tending a big list of injuries, which has grounded almost all the big names in its arsenal.

There would not be any Baichung Bhutia, Alvito D'Cunha, Douglas Da Silva or Dipak Mondal to look at when the team takes field against Nebitchi.

The task now will be on the `survivors' like Nigerian Earnest Jeremiah, Devjit Ghosh, Selwyn Fernandes and Brazilian Marcose to realise the elusive win.

Coach Subhas Bhowmick has already declared a sabbatical ahead of the new season and is looking to travel to Brazil and England to "educate'' himself with the new developments in world football.

The East Bengal coach has, however, declared that the team will go full steam for a win.

Arriving in the city with only 12 players, Nebitchi presented an even bleaker picture. This is an interesting situation, as the visitor will have no substitute to look at with its only reserve being a goalkeeper.

Coach Amanmurod Meredov said he was forced to come with minimum strength as a host of players have left the club with the fresh transfer season round the corner in Turkmenistan, while five others are either injured or serving a match's suspension.

Needing a win to ensure their position on top of the table, Meredov said he was confident of the existing strength of the team, which will go for the full quota of points against the host.

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