Mumbai City FC (MCFC) has beaten East Bengal FC (EBFC) by 3-2 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25. Despite conceding 55% of the possession to East Bengal FC, the Islanders (MCFC) were more lethal in the final third, taking eight shots on target as opposed to the five of the home team, and moved up to fifth from the seventh spot in the standings. Mumbai City FC were offensively prolific in the first-half, recording 12 touches inside East Bengal FC’s box in the opening 45 minutes. Nikolaos Karelis’ thumping header from near the six-yard box was blocked on the goal-line after a well-coordinated corner move by the Islanders in the 28th minute. Tiri received the ball on the far post and headed it to Karelis, who tried to nod the ball home, but his shot couldn’t trouble the net, an ISL release said.

Eleven minutes later, the visitors pulled off another flawless sequence from the back, with their defensive unit initiating the attack. Brandon Fernandes picked the ball from Vikram Partap Singh at the centre from distance. Immediately, Brandon carved open the East Bengal FC defence with a slick through-ball intended for Lallianzuala Chhangte. The attacker took a fine touch, before he deposited it into the bottom left corner with a fierce right-footed shot to break the deadlock. EBFC 0 – 1 MCFC

They capitalised on this momentum, with Yoell van Nieff coming to the fore with a similar delivery that swung past the gaps in the East Bengal FC backline. This time around, the ball was directed to Karelis, who took an instant shot that was stopped by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. However, the striker latched on to the rebound, placing the ball into the bottom right corner in the 43rd minute to double their lead. EBFC 0 – 2 MCFC

The home side regained their attacking intensity as soon as the second essay of the game began though. They didn’t let the Islanders settle and dictate the offensive endeavours as was the case in the first half. Naorem Mahesh Singh put pressure on the Mumbai City FC defence with an industrious effort in the 66th minute down the left flank. The Petr Kratky-coached team fell short of clearing the ball out, which instead ended up landing at Dimitrios Diamantakos’ feet on the right post. The striker tried for a lateral pass from close range, but Mumbai City FC’s Sahil Panwar got in the way and struck the ball inside his own net, reducing the deficit for the Red & Gold Brigade. EBFC 1 – 2 MCFC

East Bengal FC started stretching the Islanders’ defence thereafter, going out wide, exploring spaces at the centre, and winning the occasional set-piece to put the opposition behind. In the 83rd minute, a corner kick led to the equaliser for the Kolkata-based side. The Islanders wore a disorganised look for a brief while and it was enough for the Oscar Bruzon-coached unit to pounce upon. By pushing sheer numbers ahead, they overwhelmed the Mumbai City FC backline in their own box. Hector Yuste showed his smarts by using his head to lay a ball on David Lalhlansanga’s path at the centre of the box, and the latter used his left foot to send the ball into the bottom left corner. EBFC 2 – 2 MCFC

East Bengal FC’s joy was short-lived though, as Mumbai City FC snatched the winner four minutes later, with Karelis bagging his brace. The Islanders had Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) graduate Nathan Rodrigues unlock the Red & Gold Brigade defence with a well-paced delivery down the centre of the box from the left flank. Hijazi Maher couldn’t intercept and thwart the threat, resulting in Karelis picking the ball swiftly and caressing it into the bottom left corner to secure all three points for his team. EBFC 2 – 3 MCFC

East Bengal FC’s next match will be the Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on January 11, whereas Mumbai City FC are set to feature against Jamshedpur FC on January 12.

Eleven matches. Six defeats and five draws. Four goals scored and 15 conceded. As far as results are concerned, 2024 was arguably the worst year ever for the Indian men’s football team. It was a year that started with hopes of a strong campaign at the AFC Asian Cup. However, with some disastrous results and the controversial departure of head coach Igor Stimac, it was anything but an easy journey. Manolo Marquez taking over the reins midway but he had a tough task with the team missing their talisman Sunil Chhetri who bid farewell to the game after an illustrious career. The final half of the year saw some new faces make their presence felt for the side but sadly, the team still ended the year without a single victory.

The AFC Asian Cup campaign saw India facing tough opponents in Australia, Syria and Uzbekistan. India were unable to score even a single goal in the entire competition with just five shots on target in the three group stage matches. They were out of the group stages after conceding six goals.

It was the beginning of India’s misery as they slumped to a shocking 1-2 loss against Afghanistan at home in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match. Chhetri did find the back of the net but they were made to suffer for their missed chances as both experts and fans were left stunned by the result.

A draw against Kuwait gave some hope for qualification to the third round of World Cup qualifiers but the dreams were shattered following a controversial 1-2 loss against Qatar. The game saw India produce some good football but a horrible error by the referee spelt the end of their chances of advancing.

Following the loss against Qatar, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) decided to terminate Igor Stimac’s contract as the head coach. However, controversy ensued once again as Stimac was left fuming by the decision and he launched a scathing attack on AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey. There were allegations made on both side and it ended with a $400,000 (approximately Rs 3.36 crore) compensation for Stimac as his contract was ended early by the AIFF due to the disappointing results.

Manolo Marquez was appointed the head coach of the side and he had the tough job of reconstructing a side low on confidence and missing their star striker. Chhetri announced that he will play his final game against Kuwait and his emotional farewell left a huge gap in the Indian attack. The national side has been struggling to find a proper replacement for Chhetri and his departure left Marquez in a spot of bother.

The four matches under Marquez saw in-form players making the cut and the team leaning a lot on making use of the wingers in attack. Marquez’s first assignment was the Intercontinental Cup where they drew their first match against Maldives but were defeated 0-3 by Syria in the following match.

While the football on display was quite attractive due to the focus on midfield and more sharpness in set-pieces, the lack of goals was quite evident. The last two matches of the year saw India playing out draws against Vietnam and Malaysia with the team scoring just twice in the two matches. There were as many as four strikers used in those two matches but they did not come close to replicating Chhetri’s prowess.

While India have not won a single game under Marquez’s coaching yet, they have been successful in drawing three of the four matches. The fast-paced attacking football has already found a few admirers among the fans but it is still a long road ahead for the side. The first challenge of 2025 for the side will be to register their first win in over a year and finally attempt to solve the striker conundrum. However, it is a new era under Manolo Marquez and for the time being, it does come with new hope for the national side.

East Bengal in action vs Paro FC.© East Bengal

East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan LIVE Telecast, ISL 2024 LIVE Streaming: When And Where To Watch© X (Twitter)

File photo of Anwar Ali© X (Twitter)

India defender Anwar Ali, his current side East Bengal, and parent club Delhi FC on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court and sought a stay on the suspension imposed on the player by the All India Football Federation for “illegally terminating” his four-year contract with Mohun Bagan. The AIFF on Tuesday slapped a four-month suspension on Anwar after finding the defender “guilty” and asked him and the two clubs to pay a huge compensation of Rs 12.90 crore to Mohun Bagan.

“Yes, we have filed a writ petition with the Delhi High Court and the it has been listed for tomorrow. It is item number eight. All three parties have filed the petition on various grounds,” Delhi FC owner Ranjit Bajaj told PTI.

“How can we let the player lose out on matches in the coming days. You can get money back but you can’t get the matches back once they are played, you can’t get the time back,” he added.

East Bengal’s top official Debabrata Sarkar said that they have approached the Delhi HC as they don’t want the player to lose out on matches in the Indian Super League, starting Friday, until the AIFF’s Appeals Committee arrives at a decision on the matter.

“We have gone to the Appeals Committee, till the time the Appeals Committee decides we want Anwar to play, he should not be deprived of game time till that time. The player’s career should not be affected at all cost. That is our argument, nothing else. Let’s see what happens later,” Sarkar said.

Earlier, the AIFF’s players status committee also ruled that the Anwar’s parent club Delhi FC and East Bengal, with whom the defender had entered into a lucrative five-year deal, have been banned from registering players for two transfer windows — 2024-25 winter and 2025-26 summer.

The players status committee had stated that Anwar, East Bengal and Delhi FC are all jointly “liable” for the compensation amount which includes Rs 8.40 crore for the residual value of the contract, Rs 2 crore already paid to Delhi FC under loan agreement, and Rs 2.50 crore for other “damages suffered by the club.” The transfer of the India centre-back to East Bengal had sparked a controversy in Kolkata Maidan.

The 23-year-old had played a key role in Mohun Bagan’s ISL Shield-winning campaign last season, scoring three goals and one assist in 26 games.

Mohun Bagan challenged the player’s move to East Bengal by filing a complaint with the AIFF’s player status committee.

Indian defender Anwar Ali‘s move from Mohun Bagan Super Giant To East Bengal has been a hot topic of debate for several months. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to Anwar a suspension for four months after finding him guilty of terminating his four-year loan deal with Mohun Bagan Super Giant. That isn’t all, as a result of the Anwar Ali deal, his parent club Delhi FC, and East Bengal, the club he was recently loaned to, have been barred from registering new players for two transfer windows.

“Anwar Ali will serve a four-month sporting ban, while East Bengal and Delhi FC will face two transfer window bans, starting from the January transfer window. All three parties – Anwar Ali, Delhi FC and East Bengal – must pay Rs 12.90 crores in compensation to Mohun Bagan,” AIFF’s Players’ Statue Committee (PSC) said in its judgment on Tuesday.

Four months of Anwar Ali’s ban

Delhi FC and East Bengal are prohibited from signing any new players for TWO registration windows.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant is eligible to receive COMPENSATION from Anwar, East Bengal, & Delhi FC in the amount of Rs 12.9 crore.#anwarali #PSC pic.twitter.com/KdwcNhHzWo

— Prantik Mukherjee (@its_prantik) September 10, 2024

One of the pillars of the Indian national team’s defence, Anwar has played 22 matches for the Blue Tigers so far since making his international debut in March 2022, winning the Tri-Nation series (2023), the Intercontinental Cup (2023) and the SAFF Championship (2023).

The 23-year-old has represented the national team at all age group levels from U-17 to the senior team. He was a vital member of the Indian team that participated in the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017 on home soil.

Anwar rose through the youth set-up of the Minerva Academy before rising to prominence whilst playing for the AIFF’s developmental side in 2017. In the Indian Super League, Anwar has played a total of 46 matches so far since 2021.

Besides being one of the finest centre-backs in the country, Anwar has also displayed his knack for scoring on multiple occasions. Anwar not only scored three goals and provided one assist across 26 matches last season, he was also the top scorer for Delhi FC in the 2021 I-League Qualifiers (four goals).

In last season’s ISL, Anwar registered four clean sheets, 18 interceptions, 17 tackles, 45 successful duels. 19 successful aerial duels, 9 blocks, 67 recoveries, 52 clearances and 549 successful passes in 16 matches.

With ANI Inputs

ISL 2024, East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan Live Match© X (formerly Twitter)