THE FIRST INSTANCE OF giant killing has taken place in the Calcutta Football League.
Mohammedan Sporting took on Aryan Club at Barasat Stadium, and it turned out to be a famous victory for the underdogs.
In a game where Mohammedan Sporting clearly came in with the intention to pile on the goals, Aryan defence stood calmly in a tight formation and frustrated the opponent attack.
Not just that. About 40 minutes into the game, Aryan built through a number of short passes and Emmanuel found the net. The underdogs played out the rest of the game with nerves of steel, making sure they got the win.
What makes this game more interesting is that Mohammedan Sporting was coached by veteran gaffer Raghu Nandi, who happenes to be a former Aryan coach. The label of 'giant killers' that Aryan earned in the Calcutta Football League is largely due to the upset victories the club scored in the Raghu Nandi era.
And the current Aryan coach was none other than Raghu Nandi's son Rajdeep Nandi. The battle between father and son unfolded in front of a few thousand curious spectators, who noticed eagerly how they played a careful tactical game against each other for 90 minutes. The coaches remained calm during the match, not reacting much to on-field incidents including the goal. But after the match emotions took over and Rajdeep Nandi broke down in tears, hugging his father after beating him.
You can watch the entire match right here...
The loss puts Mohammedan Sporting behind in the title race already, as East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have only notched up wins till now. But none of those Kolkata giants have faced Rajdeep Nandi's Aryan so far so it remains to be seen if the underdogs can cause more upsets that may actually bring Mohammedan Sporting back into the CFL 2018 title picture.