Durand Cup 2021 Final Preview: Home support gives Mohammedan Sporting the edge over FC Goa

Mohammedan Sporting, the first Indian club team to win the title in 1940, has been in fine form since the group league stage winning five and losing just once.

Mohammedan Sporting's Trinidad and Tobago striker Marcus Joseph (right) will be one of the players to watch out for during the 2021 Durand Cup final.

Local favourite Mohammedan Sporting will be banking on the vociferous support of its partisan supporters when they take on the Indian Super League giant FC Goa in the final of the Durand Cup football under lights at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.

Mohammedan Sporting, the first Indian club team to win the title in 1940, has been in fine form since the group league stage winning five and losing just once.

READ | Mohammedan SC players look to bring Durand Cup joy to fans

Sporting, which regained the crown in 2013, will be drawing inspiration from history and home advantage to upstage the notion of FC Goa’s invincibility.

Sporting will be hoping that the names like Marcus Joseph, Brandon Vanlalremdika and Nikola Stojanovic retain the form that helped the team reach the final.

The three names were prominent in the team’s semifinal win against FC Bengaluru United.

FC Goa, the winner of the league winner’s shield in 2019-20, is a better side on paper with superior foreigners and Indian recruits.

But the Gaurs will be missing the Indian players like Brandon Fernandez, Glan Martins and Sertion Fernandez, who are currently in Maldives on National duty. FC Goa felt their absence against Bengaluru FC in the semifinal, which the former won in sudden-death.

In the current situation youngsters like Muhammed Nemil , Devendra Murgaokar and seasoned Spaniard Edu Bedia will be playing a key role.

“I am happy because we are playing the final of this tournament. For me it is a good opportunity to know about the players.

We hope to play a good game against a good club from Kolkata. We hope to do the best tomorrow and win the match and the trophy for our supporters,” said the FC Goa Coach, Juan Ferrando, ahead of the match.

Mohammedan Sporting head coach, Andrey Chernyshov, said his boys will try to play fearlessly. “We will play against one of the best teams in India tomorrow.

I hope our supporters will get to see a nice game. We respect our opponent but we are not afraid because we know our strength. We had to work hard to reach the final but now that we are there we will just focus on the title.” he said.