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A strong home support will make East Bengal the favourite against Goa giant Dempo SC in the final of the 34th Federation Cup at the Kanchanjungha Stadium on Sunday (September 30).
East Bengal will aim for the eighth title making its 16th final appearance while the holder of record five I-League titles, Dempo, will seek to add another crown to the lone Fed Cup title.
The final is expected to bring up an interesting clash of style and tactics as the two top clubs, going by their last I-League standings, resume their rivalry. The two teams have already ensured the AFC Cup berths and will now fight for prestige in the upcoming final. While Dempo leads every other team in the country in terms of consistency having successfully preserved its side and coach – Armando Colaco – for the longest period known, East Bengal has also followed a similar pattern in retaining the nucleus of the team under English coach Trevor James Morgan.
Both the coaches heaped praise on each other for the “stability” of their respective sides and were almost unanimous in acknowledging that there were no clear favourites in the upcoming duel. Dempo played with only one foreigner – Nigerian Koko Sakibo – in the semifinal against Salgaocar and is expected to bank on its indigenous talent in the final too. Japanese midfielder Ryuiji Sueoka, who is recovering from fever, may turn up if declared fit by tomorrow. “I don’t think football depends on one player. We play as a team and will continue to do so in the final tomorrow,” Colaco said when asked about the absence of Sueoka.
“We get there and give our best. None of the sides can confidently say it is going to win. If we win we will dedicate the crown to the memory of (Cristiano) Junior,” Colaco said referring to the on-field death of the Brazilian striker when Dempo won their only title in 2004. “East Bengal cannot be underdog on its home soil. They have a good midfield and so do we. So one can expect creative approach from both the sides,” Colaco added.
“Right across the midfield Dempo is very creative. We have to raise our game to the level to that level to win,” Morgan said after the team’s practice. When asked about how he will tackle the suspension of his two regular central defenders – Uga Okpara and Gurwinder Singh – the East Bengal coach said he will find the right replacements, which here will Raju Gaikwad and Arnab Mondal. The East Bengal coach admitted that his team may have been scrappy in the group league stage but quickly added that the side played really well in the semis to beat Churchill Brothers. “Football does not work that way, it is the win that matters. Tomorrow (Sunday) will be a new game and we will approach it accordingly,” Morgan said.
Match starts 6:30 pm on DD Sports
