#TFGinterview: Strong bond between all of us at MCFC has made a huge difference this season, says Sony Norde

ISL 2016 HAS BEEN a campaign of redemption for Mumbai City. They have managed to brush off previous failures and emerged as the new heavyweights of ISL, finishing at the top of the points table at the end of the league stage.

Sony Norde, the Haitian winger playing for Mumbai City for the second ISL season in a row, is clearly enjoying the excitement around this campaign. The talented 27 year old has been playing club football in India for 2 years now, and knows a thing or two about going for the title.

In the 2014-15 season, he joined Mohun Bagan and helped the club win its first league title in 13 years. Next season, he led from the front as the Mariners went on to win the Federation Cup. Now, as Mumbai City enter the ISL semi-finals for the first time as the hot favourites for the title, Sony told TFG that he couldn't wait to make a lunge for his third major winner's medal in Indian football within 18 months,

"I am certainly hopeful of it and I am excited that we're in the semifinals of the ISL. Of course, I'd love to go all the way and win it. It would be a great achievement for the team and for me as an individual too."

Last year, when Norde joined Mumbai City, it was a very different team under the controversial player-coach Nicolas Anelka. There were problems in the dressing room, most notably the very public departures of midfielder Andre Moritz and assistant coach Oscar Bruzon in the middle of the campaign over tiffs with Anelka. When asked to compare the two seasons he has had with Mumbai City, Sony chose not to touch any sensitive topic and instead highlight the harmony in the dressing room he is witnessing this year,

"Personally, I had more game time in the last season. This year, I've been coming off of some injuries and that has kept me on the bench for quite some time. But this season, we have a very strong squad. The chemistry and the bond between all of us is really strong and I believe that is what has made a huge difference this season... Alexandre Guimaraes is an excellent coach and there is so much to learn from him. And I believe a mentor like that is definitely going to help me improve my game."

Of the 10 appearances Sony has made for Mumbai City so far, only 6 have seen him play from the beginning. Lately, he has been seen coming on late in the game to add some fresh legs to the attack and see the game through. Norde, who missed some games due to being picked for the Haiti national team, said that he was ready to play a bigger role in the playoffs if the coach gave him the chance,

"Like I mentioned, I've come off of some injuries. And at the end of the day, it's the coach's call. Right now I'm getting 10 or maybe 15 minutes to come off the bench and make a difference. But my job is to work hard and help the team. We have two or hopefully three games to play from now on. If the coach and the team calls upon me, I know I'll be ready to give my best and help the team in every way I can."

Now, with Mumbai City to play Atletico de Kolkata, Sony Norde is once again set to play in the city he has adopted as his footballing home. When he played in Kolkata during the ISL's regular season, he helped Mumbai City win the tie with an assist, and received wild applause from the entire gallery who backed him because of his Mohun Bagan ties. Asked about the prospect of playing there again on Saturday, he couldn't suppress a smile,

"Whenever I play in Kolkata, I feel great, be it for Mumbai City or any other team. But the most important part is playing well and making it count. Now we're playing in Kolkata against a good team and our aim will only be to win."

There is much speculation over what Sony will do after the ISL is over. The latest rumours from the transfer market suggest that despite aggressive pursuit from East Bengal and Bengaluru FC, he is going to return to his old club Mohun Bagan once again. As of now, the man himself doesn't want to reveal anything about his post-ISL plans yet, instead focusing only on the all-important ISL playoffs.

But when TFG asked him about the fabled phone calls between him and Mohun Bagan head coach Sanjoy Sen, which are being seen as indications of his imminent return to the Mariners' camp, he did not deny any of it either.

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