"If we win the I-League, expect a grand celebration and something that European clubs do" - Mohammedan Sporting Club's investor Dipak Kumar Singh ahead of the title decider against Gokulam Kerala FC

The I-League title race has once again come down to the wire as the winners will be decided after the final match of the championship phase on Saturday (14 May) between defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC (GKFC) and second-placed Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) at Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium.

GKFC, who were six points clear of MSC until Tuesday, suffered a 1-3 loss against Sreenidi Deccan FC (SDFC) and blew up their chances of sealing the title with a match remaining. Riding a 21-game unbeaten streak, all Gokulam needed was a draw at the Naihati Stadium. However, the law of averages finally caught up with them as Lalromawia’s first-half hat-trick set up Saturday's climactic clash.

Earlier in the day, Brandon Vanlalremdika’s brace powered MSC to a clinical 2-0 win over Rajasthan United FC (RUFC) at the Kalyani Stadium and revived their title hopes. The Kolkata giants have momentum on their side, having amassed 11 points from their last five outings compared to GKFC’s 10.

Despite trailing Gokulam by three points, Mohammedan will claim their maiden I-League crown on the basis of a superior head-to-head record if they defeat their Kozhikode counterparts on Saturday. The first leg meeting between the two sides ended in a 1-1 stalemate, making the reverse fixture a virtual final.

The excitement around the match has reached a fever pitch as thousands of football fans in Bengal, not just the MSC faithful, eagerly await a Mohammedan victory. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Dipak Kumar Singh, on behalf of Mohammedan’s investor Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd, revealed that they’ll organize a grand celebration for the fans if Andrey Chernyshov and Co. claim the silverware. He said:

“There will definitely be an incentive for the players depending on where we finish. If we win the tournament, we’ll do a trophy tour across Kolkata and arrange a grand party for the fans and a players’ get-together. It will be bigger than our CFL victory celebration.”

Dipak Kumar Singh (left) with the CFL Premier Division A trophy at the Mohammedan Sporting Club tent. Image: Twitter

This is the closest the Black and White brigade have ever come to an I-League title, having languished in the second division for a large part of the past four decades. They qualified for the I-League first division in the 2013-14 season under Sanjoy Sen, but finished rock-bottom in the 13-team competition and were relegated.

Plagued by financial challenges, Mohammedan officials have realized in due course of time that corporatization is the way forward in Indian football. They roped in Bunkerhill as their investor in October 2020, and the club hasn’t looked back since.

MSC’s resurgence began when they won their maiden I-League second division title in late 2020, and returned to the first division after a seven-year hiatus. The highlight of the Mohammedan-Bunkerhill partnership so far has been their Calcutta Football League (CFL) Premier Division A triumph in November 2021, which they achieved after a 40-year drought. They also finished runners-up in the 130th Durand Cup last year.

On Thursday morning, Mohammedan announced via their social media handles that 37,000 free tickets for the 'grand finale' would be distributed from the club tent.

Mr. Singh urged the Bengal football fraternity to fill the stands and cheer for Mohammedan. He explained:

“Bengal and Kerala are the two powerhouses of Indian football at present. We all saw how the crowd motivated Kerala to win the Santosh Trophy. I want the same thing to happen here. We want the fans of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan as well to throng the Salt Lake Stadium and support Mohammedan. We’re also planning to put up giant screens in most of the places where Mohammedan fans are present.”

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Dipak Kumar Singh on Mohammedan’s upcoming European collaboration

In December last year, Sportskeeda first reported that Mohammedan would enter a multi-year collaboration with a famous European club. A couple of months back, Bunkerhill co-founder Kanishk Sheel confirmed the same to us.

It now appears that an agreement has been reached and a formal announcement is expected to be made in the coming weeks. Hinting at the much-awaited partnership, Mr. Singh said:

“If we win the I-League, we’ll do something very interesting that the European clubs do. It will be a big surprise for everyone. We’ll make an announcement before the start of the next season.”

Is a Mohammedan-Fulham collaboration on the cards?

Although Mr. Singh remained tight-lipped about the name of the club, sources close to the development have informed us that it’s most likely to be England’s Fulham FC, who won the recently concluded EFL Championship and have secured promotion back to the Premier League.