I-League: Mumbai FC takes on shaken Dempo

Mumbai-FC-dempoPune: Mumbai FC has been found wanting against former I-League champion Dempo Sports Club for the last two seasons, but an ominous start for the Goan club may really change the equations when the two teams meet in the Round 2 match of the Airtel I-League, here on Sunday.

Much hasn’t changed since last week, but Mumbai will have to tighten its belt wee bit as Dempo has arrived here with their pride shaken following the 0-3 loss to Shillong Lajong FC in the Round 1.

The Arthur Papas side wasted several chances at home last week allowing the North-Easterners to romp home, but the Goans would like to forget that humiliation and make a fresh start at the Balewadi Sports Complex on tomorrow.


Mumbai FC on the other hand drew their first match against Sporting Clube de Goa despite taking lead, but their strikers looked out of touch, something that is sure to worry coach Khalid Jamil.

Currently Mumbai FC is at fifth position in the 13-team table, while Dempo SC is at the bottom of the heap, a position that Papas wants to rectify very soon.

In a team that boasts of Beto and Peter Carvalho in the midfield and new signing Jeje Lalpekhlua and his fellow striker Billy Mehmet, Dempo would have walked through, but it was not to be. It was collective mess up as Beto, Jewel Raja, Mehmet and Mandar Desai wasted chances early on against Shillong. Beto kept feeding nice passes, but Clifford Miranda and Jewel Raja forfeited easy chances, something that Papas would not like to see it happen against Mumbai FC.

Though Papas has gone on record saying the number of opportunities they got against Shillong would have been enough to win two matches, it doesn’t seem that easy though given the way other teams have developed their sides.


Mumbai FC is still in its building stage after several of their foreign players quit, but they will try to build on their 1-1 draw when they meet Dempo on Sunday afternoon.

John Coutinho may have scored for Mumbai FC in the opening match, but it was Haroon Fakhruddin Amiri, who is the man to watch. After leading his national side Afghanistan to a memorable 2-0 title win against India in the SAFF Cup in Kathmandu, Amiri suddenly has new fans in Pune.

Jamil has done well given the limited resources he has at his disposal this season and would want to strike first three-pointer against Dempo.

Climax Lawrence, Nicholas Rodrigues and Jayesh Rane will be key to Mumbai FC’s success, but with Yusif Yakubu back in the squad the Mumbai outfit will be tad bit happier to have that extra firepower in their arsenal.