Bangla team uses Indian connections to hold EB

Officially, East Bengal were done in by the combined might of a Bangladesh team playing as a unit. But the three men who played above themse...

Officially, East Bengal were done in by the combined might of a Bangladesh team playing as a unit. But the three men who played above themselves to ensure Muktijoddha earned a goalless draw with the more famous Kolkata side in their AFC Cup Group A encounter this afternoon all had Indian links.

It was a day of surprises, beginning with the omission of Muktijoddha’s skipper and goalkeeper Aminul Haque. Then the home side had to reckon with Sheikh Belal Ahmed, who almost ‘threw’ them out of the match. The man from Satkhira, West Bengal, launched successive missiles at the East Bengal goal, two of which were cleared off the goalline, while one was headed on to the post.

Belal, who usually plays at left back, was assigned the task of sending in accurate, low-trajectory throws that sped through the air over more than 40 feet. His feats prompted East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick to admit at the end of the match that he was really relieved that the rocket launcher had to retire with a hamstring pull on the hour mark.

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More embarrassing for East Bengal was the performance of the visitors’ Ghanaian centre half Charles Ghansa Benin, the man who kept Bhaichung Bhutia in check throughout the match. Ghansa was actually gifted to Muktijoddha by East Bengal manager Swapan Kumar Ball in 1999!

That year, East Bengal signed up three Ghanaians — Suley Musah, Jackson Ageypong and Emmanuel Opoku — who came for trials. Compatriot Ghansa arrived later but the club had exceeded its three-foreigners quota. So Ball — who today maintained a discreet silence on this matter — arranged for Ghansah to be signed by Muktijoddha.

Finally, the popular choice for the Man-of-the-Match award, had there been one: defender Rajani Kanta Burman, who played his heart out to thwart Asia’s fifth-best club. He isn’t Indian but his better half is.