Chennai: The warriors from Chandigarh, Minerva Punjab FC, take on fellow debutants Chennai City FC in an all important first round of the I-League season 2017 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai on Sunday.
The blues from Chandigarh have a newly revamped side, with the addition of many Indian National Junior team players and a few from their I-League 2nd Division Team who were the runners up last season. They have added the likes of Nigerian central defender Loveday Ennanaya who is no stranger to Indian Football's top tier having featured for Sporting Club De Goa, Royal Wahingdoh in the top league.
Another pacy Nigerian striker Victor Amobi who has been the top player of Nepal Premier League has been roped in to assist Star Striker Joel Sunday, the former Aizawl FC hit man who was the top scorer for the club in the I-League last season.
The team boosts of many Punjab-born players who have previously piled their trade with many top team in the country due to lack of opportunity in the region, but induction of Minerva Punjab FC in the top tier lured them to fly back to their home region and wear the blue colour with pride. Players like Manandeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh junior India Internationals Kamalpreet Singh, Arshdeep Singh will feature for the Chandigarh based team. The team also has a flavour of top young youth with the likes of Anirudh Thapa, Boaringabo Bodo, Prosenjit Singh, Rakesh Oram who have been highly rated as the future stars of the country.
Meanwhile fellow debutants Chennai City FC, who are newcomers in the top-flight have been participating in the Senior Division of the Chennai Football League. With the takeover of its new head owner Rohit whose bid was successfully accepted by the AIFF for the direct entry the club have managed to lure Tamil Nadu players based I-League players like Ravanan, Dhanpal Ganeshan who have been regular in the I-League and the ISL and midfielder Zakeer Mundampara and Karanjit Singh on loan from ISL Team Chennaiyin FC. Their foreign quota have been completed with the likes of Nigerian defender Echezona Anyichie who previously featured for Mohun Bagan and Brazilian State league players Marcos and Charles Tank.
