I-league: Rangdajied United Look For First Win Against Mohammedan SC

Rangdajied United will look to earn their first full three points, when they take on Kolkata’s Mohammedan SC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Sunday. The blues have drawn their last two league games against heavyweights Dempo SC and Churchill Brothers, and are confident of good show against the Durand Cup champions.

Santosh Kashyap’s men were unlucky not to win against the Goan visitors in their last home game, after the impressive David Nghaite saw a shot of his go agonizingly wide in the 90th minute, with the scores at 1-1. The newly promoted I-League side will, however, be confident of the winning against a Mohammedan SC side that is still looking for its first I-League points.

Santosh Kashyap is likely to start with Surjay Paryar under the bar, while the back four of Poibiang Pohshna, Lamine Tamba, Munmun Lugun and Thomas Saikhom is set to feature once again in the starting XI. With the Mohammedan side looking to make a fresh start to their campaign, the Rangdajied backline will have to be in their toes in order to get a positive result out of the game.

Captain Eugeneson Lyngdoh scored a scorcher against Churchill Brothers in the last game, and will be one of the focal points of the blues’ attack on Sunday. With both Lyngdoh and fellow medio David Nghaite in good form, Kashyap will hope to hurt the visitors from the flanks.

After being used from the bench in the first few games, Elam Abocha Singh started in the Churchill game, and the midfielder should once again feature in the starting line-up. On the other hand, Restomwell Khriam, who created quite a few chances against Churchill, will have an important part to play against Mohammedan too.

Summer signing Lalnunpuia was in inspirational form against Dempo, and was the man who started the famous comeback against the former champions. The Mizoram-born attacker will hope to have another good game on Sunday, and could once again be asked to play in the hole and provide support to the striker up front.

Meanwhile, coach Kashyap will have to decide whether to tinker his line-up and bring in Edmar Figueira, or keep striker Sandesh Gadkari in the starting line-up. Gadkari, who has already opened his account for Rangdajied, will be hoping to add to his tally for the club, against Mohammedan on Sunday.

Bansharai Sun, Laldingngheta, Joy Mrong Kharraswai and others in the squad will too be hoping to feature in the game, and they too could be part of the coach’s plans. With Mohammedan not in good vein recently, Rangdajied United will look to add to Mohammedan woes, by inflicting a defeat on the visitors. If the last two games are anything to go by, the blues are the more likely side to come out with a victory on Sunday.

Meanwhile, at the Pre-Match press conference, coach Santosh Kashyap sounded confident for a win with all due respect to the Kolkata side. He said, “After two and a half months work, we have risen to the I-League level. Boys are implementing what I have been instructing and it’s a good sign. We will definitely go for the win.”The last two matches of the ‘Chosen One’ have been appreciated by one and all because of the fighting spirit the team displayed. Promising another spectacular performance, the coach once again calls the people of Shillong to come and support the team.