Slice of history at Salt Lake: Mohammedan SC lift maiden I-League trophy
Despite losing 1-3 to Delhi FC in their last league match, Mohammedan SC lifted their maiden I-League trophy at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.
Mohammedan SC lifted their maiden I-League trophy at the Salt Lake Stadium after winning the I-League 2023-24 season.
Thousands of Mohammedan SC fans flocked to the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday to watch their club lift the historic I-League title. This is the first I-League title for the club that boasts more than 100 years of history.
It has been a rollercoaster ride in the past decade for the Kolkata-based club as they were relegated from the I-League at the end of the 2013-14 season. However, ten years down the line, they will say goodbye to the I-League again, but this time after clearing their path to the Indian Super League, the top tier of Indian club football.
Earlier last week, Mohammedan secured their I-League title with a win against Shillong Lajong in one of the most dominant I-League campaigns ever.
As close to 25,000 Mohammedan fans gathered to celebrate the historic moment at the Salt Lake Stadium, the start of the evening was a little anti-climatic as Delhi FC scored three goals past the champions in the last league game.
Seven minutes after giving the guard of honour, the party poppers from Delhi FC were in the lead as Alisher Kholmurodov headed into Pape Gassama’s corner with full authority to render the stadium into a pin-drop silence.
18-year-old teenager Gwgwmsar Goyary and Sergio Borboza added two more goals before Mirjalol Kasimov scored the lone Mohammedan goal with a thunderous left-footed strike that was too hot for Calvin to handle as it hit his arm and looped over the line.
However, the scoreboard didn't matter on the night as dancing, drumming, and cheering in the stands kicked off right after the final whistle.
The largest cheer of the night was reserved for the crowning moment, as Mohammedan Sporting captain Samad Ali Mallick, Zodingliana Ralte, and Joseph Adjei hoisted the coveted I-League trophy into the Kolkata sky signifying a new chapter in the glorious history of the club.
Mohammedan's promotion to ISL means that the league will have big three Kolkata clubs adding another feather to the cap of a city that lives and breathes football.