Durand Cup Finals LIVE: Mohammedan SC are all set to receive some raucous support as fans have flocked the streets in Kolkata ahead of the Durand Cup Final. The I-League side are all set to lock horns against ISL giants FC Goa on their home turf as they aim to end their eight-year drought in the competition. The run to the final marks a complete change for the historic Indian club, who have had their fair share of financial troubles over the last decade.
Durand Cup Finals LIVE: Mad Rush for tickets for Mohammedan SC vs FC Goa Finals, 44,000 already sold – Follow Finals LIVE
As per Indian Express, more than 3000 fans have gathered outside the Mohammedan SC’s Tents on Friday despite rainfall. Such has been the level of demand that the club’s football secretary Dipendu Biswas has had to shove his phone aside. Biswas a former India forward, however, isn’t complaining having seen the club’s dark days over the course of the last decade. As per The Bridge, over 44k tickets have been sold for the Mohammed SC vs FC Goa clash on Sunday, and their run to the final has a fruit borne out of laying out a fresh foundation for the historic club.
U won’t see this pic anywhere in India apart from Kolkata. No wonder it’s called the Mecca of #IndianFootball.
My heart goes to all those fans who didn’t get tickets despite such patience. Due to pandemic, we have our limitations too in distributing tickets. Keep supporting us! pic.twitter.com/7QQpbFmjOX
— Dipak Kumar Singh (@dipaklamb) October 1, 2021
Like a lot of traditional Indian clubs, Mohammedan SC’s failure to adapt to the changing domestic structure, along with mismanagement saw them disband their first team in 2014. Sporting relied on donations from wealthy individuals and gate receipts on match days, but that alone was not enough to sustain a club as player salaries and administrative costs rose.
Durand Cup Finals LIVE: Mad Rush for tickets for Mohammedan SC vs FC Goa Finals, 44,000 already sold – Follow Finals LIVE
Mohammedan SC have built itself over again with a team of young administrators comprising former footballers and a doctor to set the club in order. The turnaround has been gradual but sees the club within touching distance of their first piece of silverware in a decade.
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN🏆
Who among these two footballing giants will lay their hands on the prestigious Durand Cup trophy? ⚽🔥#DurandCup2021 #130thedition #Legacy #Kolkata #football #aiff #cherrytree #MDSP #BlackPanther #JaanJaanMohammedan #FCG #ForcaGoa #RiseAgain #Uzzo #MDSPFCG pic.twitter.com/0tYr3B5ptN— Durand Cup (@thedurandcup) October 3, 2021
While the Durand Cup has lost its former glory, especially with ISL sides treating it as a pre-season competition, its return to Kolkata has been cheered and has been a lifeline to the tournament. Add to that a home team playing against a near full-strength ISL giant, the stakes have rarely been this high in recent times. The 44,000 fans who will fill out the Salt Lake Stadium will be vigorous in their support for Mohammedan and the game promises to be a spectacle for the viewers.
