Sanjoy Sen: Foolish to brand Mohun Bagan as the favourite

Mohun Bagan will take on surprise package Aizawl FC in the Federation Cup final in Guwahati on Saturday.

Published : May 20, 2016 15:11 IST , Guwahati

Sanjoy Sen has been in charge of Mohun Bagan since December 2014.
Sanjoy Sen has been in charge of Mohun Bagan since December 2014.
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Sanjoy Sen has been in charge of Mohun Bagan since December 2014.

Aizawl FC may not be as big a name as Mohun Bagan but it has its own strengths, asserts Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen. A day prior to the Federation Cup final between Mohun Bagan and Aizawl FC, Sen spoke at length about the task in hand, Bagan’s tag as favourites, Aizawl FC’s strengths and fans, and much more.

Excerpts

Is Mohun Bagan the favourite to win the Federation Cup Final?

I don’t agree. You need to look back at Aizawl FC’s performance against Bengaluru FC in the Federation Cup. You also need to look back at its performance against us in the I-League when it defeated us and halted our unbeaten run. Hence, it will be foolish to brand Mohun Bagan as the favourite. Anyone can beat anybody on a particular day. Aizawl FC will be a tough clash and if want to win, we have to deliver.

What are Aizawl FC's strengths?

Football has changed. It’s no more about big names. Similarly Aizawl FC may not be as big a name as Mohun Bagan but it stays united on the field and plays together as a unit. It was on display when it accounted for Bengaluru FC. It has the ability to score goals. It scored five goals in its two away fixtures. It also has the ability to come out good in crunch situations.

Aizawl FC fans may be packing the stands. Will it be more like an away fixture for you?

Even if it is so (many Aizawl FC fans in the stands) it would not affect us. We are focused on the task at hand and that is to win the Federation Cup.

History suggests that the Federation Cup and Mohun Bagan have been synonymous ..

Given that we have won the Federation Cup a maximum number of times the final match is massive for us as a club. We won the I-League after 13 long years and we want to present the fans with the Federation Cup Trophy. It will be a good way to end the season with a trophy in our hands.

How do you assess the performance of your team in the AFC Cup?

It has been an outstanding performance by the players in the AFC Cup and we achieved qualification with a match to spare. That speaks volumes. The players are raring to go.

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