Mohammedan SC sign former Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Kunzang Bhutia

The 26-year-old featured for FC Bengaluru United in the recently concluded I-League Qualifiers.

Newly-promoted I-League side Mohammedan SC have roped in former FC Bengaluru United goalkeeper Kunzang Bhutia. The club announced the signing on Thursday.

Bhutia, who recently featured for Bengaluru United in the I-League Qualifiers conceded two goals in three games. He also kept a clean-sheet against his new employers in the last game of the tournament. Kunzang Bhutia is a former Royal Wahingdoh youth product and has played for many second division as well as reserve sides of Indian Super League (ISL) clubs. He also has eight I-League appearances for Shillong Lajong and Churchill Brothers on his portfolio.

The 26-year-old is expected to be the second choice goalkeeper behind captain Priyant Singh, who only conceded one goal in the four-game qualifying tournament. Mohammedan have also bolstered the squad ahead of their I-League return after seven years. Experienced Spanish tactician Jose Hevia have been named the head coach, while they’ve also signed Mohammed Fatau who has previously plied his trade in LaLiga and the Turkish Super Lig. They have also brought in prolific striker Philip Adjah, which was exclusively revealed by Khel Now on Wednesday.

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Elsewhere, experienced Indian defenders Arijit Bagui and Manoj Mohammed have also joined the ranks at the club. With new reinforcements to an already stable squad, the Kolkata giants firmly look strong on paper ahead of the competition.

The General Secretary of Mohammedan SC Sk Wasim Akram, in an Instagram live session, couldn’t contain his excitement and said, “It means a lot (to be back in the I-League). After seven years and 11 months, we have finally made it there. The I-League is a platform where we should have been forever, but due to some reasons we couldn’t be a part of it.”

The upcoming edition of I-League will be played in West Bengal due to precautionary measures against the COVID-19 pandemic and is reportedly set to kick-off in January 2021.