I-League: Odafe suspension extended to three matches

The All India Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee comprising of N.A. Khan (Chairman), Rakesh Bakshi, Uma Prasad Mukherjee, Premashis Chowdhury and D.S. Sivaswamy, met at the Football House earlier today.

The AIFF Disciplinary Committee reviewed all the documents, the video footage of the I-League match between East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan AC (played on December 9, 2012) and interrogated Odafe Onyeka Okolie who was present in the hearing.

After taking into consideration an unconditional apology from Mr. Okolie, the Committee imposed an additional one-match ban in the ongoing I-League 2012/13 and also imposed a fine of Rs. 150,000 (1,5 lakhs) on the Mohun Bagan player.

The Committee has directed that Mr. Okolie be allowed to play again in the I-League only after paying the necessary fine.

Mohun Bagan name 34th Federation Cup squad

Record title holders Mohun Bagan AC have named their final 20 players squad ahead of 34th Federation Cup in which the Kolkata Maidan giants have been drawn in Group B alongside Churchill Brothers SC, Air India and qualifiers Mohammedan Sporting Club with the matches to be played in Siliguri.

Mohun Bagan AC open their campaign against Churchill Brothers SC (September 20), then face Air India (September 22) and play their final group game against qualifiers Mohammedan Sporting Club (September 24).

Mohun Bagan will be missing the services of Cyprian Stanley Okoroigwe and Mehrajuddin Wadoo due to injuries and there is a question mark behind star player Odafe Onyeka Okolie, who picked-up an injury against West Bengal Police over the weekend but the Nigerian striker is part of the squad and coach Santosh Kashyap hopes he will have a role to play.

Coach Santosh Kashyap said, "Our group is very tough. The 1st match of every tournament is tough, but Air India and Mohammedan Sporting are also good teams. So, we will have to show good form in all the matches to qualify for the semifinal."


MOHUN BAGAN AC

Goalkeepers
Arindam Bhattacharya, Shilton Pal

Defenders
Nirmal Chetri, Aibor Khongjee, Anyichie Echezona Celestine, Irungbam Khelemba Meetei, Warundeep Singh, Lalrozama Fanai, Biswajit Saha

Midfielders
Syed Rahim Nabi, Manish Bhargav, Denson Devadas, Rakesh Masih, Sheikh Jewel Raja, Manish Mathani, Snehashis Chakroborty

Forwards
Odafe Onyeka Okolie, Tolgay Ozbey, C.S Sabeeth, P.K. Anil Kumar

Officials
Santosh Kashyap (Head Coach), Bernard Oparanozie (Assistant Coach), Joseph Ronald D'Angelus (Fitness Trainer), Jonathan James Corner (Physio)

VIDEOs: Footballers Model at Kolkata Fashion Week

On Saturday night five footballer in Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Tolgay Ozbey, Odafe Onyeka Okolie and ex-goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey scorched the ramp at the Kolkata Fashion Week. The quintett did a good job and got a lot of praise in their assignment as models.

Here the ABP Ananda report

Here the XtraTime report

Mohun Bagan AC squad for the 2012/13 season

Asia's oldest football club Mohun Bagan AC has assembled a 33 players strong squad for the 2012/13 season. After two trophy-less seasons the green-and-maroon will look to add to their collection of titles.

The team will be guided by new coach Santosh Kashyap, who has a good squad at his disposal with possibly the most potent attack led by the combine of Odafe Onyeka Okolie and Tolgay Ozbey.

Unlike in the last few seasons the club has also brought in some reinforcements for their defence and midfield, which the management would hope can supplement their strong attack.


Mohun Bagan AC

Goalkeepers
22-Shilton Pal, 27-Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers SC), 31-Milton Bhowmick (IFA Academy), 32-Naveen Kumar (Pailan Arrows)

Defenders
2-Aibor Khongjee (Shillong Lajong FC), 3-Nirmal Chetri (East Bengal Club), 4-Anyichie Echezona Celestine (Southern Samity), 5-Irungbam Khelemba Meetei (Salgaocar SC), 6-Sourav Chakraborty, 15-Lalrozama Fanai (Pailan Arrows), 16-Biswajit Saha (Salgaocar SC), 20-Rakesh Masih, 26-Mehrajuddin Wadoo (Salgaocar SC), 28-Warundeep Singh (Sporting Clube de Goa), 33-Mohan Sarkar (Techno Aryan Club, Calcutta), 35-Deepak Sumanta, 37-Rajib Ghosh (Pailan Arrows)

Midfielders
7-Denson Devadas (Prayag United SC), 8-Cyprian Stanley Okoroigwe (Mohammedan Sporting Club), 12-Bijendra Rai (Pailan Arrows), 17-L. Lalrinfela (Southern Samity), 18-Arjun Chatterjee (Prayag United SC), 19-Syed Rahim Nabi, 21-Nirapada Mondal (Gauhati Town Club), 23-Sheikh Jewel Raja, 24-Manish Mathani, 25-Snehashis Chakroborty, 34-Manish Bhargav

Forwards
9-Odafe Onyeka Okolie, 10-Tolgay Ozbey (East Bengal Club), 11-Dipendu Biswas (Bhowanipore Club, Kolkata), 14-C.S Sabeeth (Pailan Arrows), 29-P.K. Anil Kumar (Dempo SC)

Official
Santosh Kashyap (Chief Coach), Bernard Operanozie (Assistant Coach), Hemanta Dora (Goalkeeper Coach), Jonathan Corner (Physio, Rehab Specialist)


Players Released
Dipendu Dowary, Abinash Ruidas, Goutam Thakur, Hudson Lima da Silva, Jose Ramirez Barreto (all Bhowanipore Club, Kolkata), Kingshuk Debnath, R. Dhanarajan, Gouranga Datta, Ashim Biswas (all Mohammedan Sporting Club), Anwar, Sakatar Singh (both United Sikkim FC), Irungbam Surkumar Singh, Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep (both Dodsal FC, Mumbai), Nallappan Mohanraj (Pune FC), Sangram Mukherjee (Prayag United SC), Souvik Chakraborty (Air India), Sunil Chhetri (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Sudipta Banerjee, Satish Kumar Jr, Jagtar Singh, Daljit Singh, Souvik Mondal, Bungo Thokchom Singh, Joseph Muralidharan

VIDEO: Odafe Okolie back in Mohun Bagan training

The currently highest paid footballer in India, Mohun Bagan AC's Nigerian star striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie is back in Kolkata and has joined his clubs pre-season practice.

Here a XtraTime report on Odafe's return

VIDEO: Odafe scores a brilliant goal!

Mohun Bagan's Odafe Onyeka Okolie scored a briliant goal against Air India yesterday. The Nigerian as only he can do simply beat four defenders and then the Airmen goalkeeper Pawan Kumar to score his clubs third goal of the day to seal the match.

The video clip shows all all four goals in the 3-1 Mohun Bagan win, but wait and watch the final one from Odafe. It is worth it!

Courtesy of Sabuj Maroon Swapno, who have uploaded the video

Mohun Bagan sign prize catch Odafe Okolie

The transfer of the summer in Indian football is through on day one itself! Asia's oldest football club Mohun Bagan AC have signed Nigerian striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie from Churchill Brothers SC on a one year contract with the biggest ever paid salary in Indian football.

For years Mohun Bagan and city rivals East Bengal Club, but especially the green-and-maroon have been trying to lure Odafe back to Kolkata. It was in the City of Joy that Odafe's journey in Indian football had started when he was signed by Mohammedan Sporting Club, but it didn't work out so Odafe had to join smaller Kolkata side Peerless SC. He soon left for Bangladesh only to be brought back to India by Churchill Brothers SC in 2006 in their quest to get back into the old NFL. It worked and Odafe would go on to be top scorer of the NFL/I-League in the coming four years. Only this year he was beaten by fellow Nigerian Ranty Martins Soleye to the top scorers crown with won he had shared the title in his first year.

For Mohun Bagan June 1, 2011 was a big day at the club's Maidan Tent then Odafe was introduced to the media as a Mohun Bagan player by general secretary Anjan Mitra and finance secretary Debasish Dutta only after he had arrived in the city from Goa.

"It's a great day in the club's history," Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra said during Wednesday's unveiling.

Odafe said at the press conference, "I had a great time in Churchill Brothers and Alemao is like my father. I am sure Mohun Bagan officials will treat me properly and I will have a great time here. I will make sure that Mohun Bagan win lot of trophies in the coming season."

And speaking about playing alongside Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto, who is an institution at Mohun Bagan, Odafe said "He is great player. I’ll be really happy to play with him!"

Odafe is said to be getting a salary of Rs. 16 Million (1,6 crores) plus a flat at High Land Park and a luxurious BMW. All this will put a lot of pressure on Odafe not only to perform and score goals, but win trophies for Mohun Bagan who did not win anything in the 2010/11 season.