We will aim to reach the top six, says Mohammedan SC's defender Samad Ali Mallick ahead of ISL 2024-25

Mohammedan SC coach Andre Chernyshov mentioned practicing harder and working well.

I-League 2023-24 season champions, Mohammedan SC, are all set to make their Indian Super League (ISL) debut this season after being promoted to the Indian top flight. The team looks firm and determined under coach Andrey Chernyshov’s tactical acumen, with a set of new players to complement the roster.

They have roped in former NorthEast United FC and India U-23 center-back Gaurav Bora alongside former Kerala Blasters left-winger Sagolsem Bikash Singh in the summer transfer window. The 26-year-old left winger from NorthEast United FC, Rochharzela, and former FC Goa defensive midfielder, Amarjit Singh, have also joined the Black-and-White Brigade for the team’s debut in the ISL.

With the stage all set for the ISL 2024-25 season to kick off on September 13, 2024, Mohammedan SC will be playing their first match against the Durand Cup 2024 champions, NorthEast United FC, on September 16, 2024, at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, which will serve as their home ground for the season.

On September 4, 2024, coach Andre Chernyshov along with players Samad Ali Mallick, Joseph Adjei, and Zdingliana Ralte appeared for a media interaction at the ISL’s media day before kick-off, held in Kolkata.

Let’s take a look at some of the excerpts from the press conference.

The much-awaited ISL debut

After winning the I-League title last season, the Black-and-White Brigade were promoted to the India top flight, the Indian Super League. During the media interaction, coach Andrey Chernyshov ecstatically addressed the media, quoting his happiness and excitement about playing in the ISL this season. “It’s a nice feeling to be here, and being a part of the ISL family. We did a great job last season. We played very well and won the I-League.

“It was our target in the last season. But I’m happier about our supporters because they waited for this moment for many years. Our club is 130 years old. Many supporters have waited for about 40 to 50 years for this deal, and we have finally done it. I’m so happy for them now.

“They will be able to see some really good players who will come to Kolkata to play against us. They will see many beautiful stadiums because they will be traveling with us. It’s a nice feeling. We are so happy to be here, and we will do our best in the ISL,” Andre Chernyshov opined.

Aiming for the top six spot

Samad Ali Mallick, the defender nurtured in the girth of the Kolkata maidan, who has also played for East Bengal in the past, feels that the two crucial matches against the two Kolkata giants, East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, are on their road to aim for a spot in the top six.

The 29-year-old defender said, “We have played well this year. We are very happy. We are proud that we will be playing in the ISL this season. But this year, we will be playing two big matches—the two derbies in Kolkata itself. We will aim to reach the top six by the end of the league.”

I-League vs ISL: The bigger challenge?

The I-League is currently the second-division football tournament in India’s domestic football pyramid, while the ISL occupies the top spot as the country’s active premier-division football tournament. In 2014, when ISL was introduced to India, it was incepted as a major showpiece football tournament, with the I-League serving as the then premier division of the pyramid. In Samad Ali Mallick’s words, “Our team is a challenging one. We are the I-League champions. There was competition too, but ISL is a whole different league in itself. We will be trying to do our best in every game.”

However, coach Andrey Chernyshov had a more elaborate take on his behalf. In the coach’s words, “It was every time my philosophy. If you start to play one game, it does not matter what the name of the game is, Chess, cards, football, basketball.

“You go to play not only to sit with your friends. You play with your friends. You want to win something. This is normal for professional players. We will play serious matches. We need to be ready for that. We need to show our supporters how strong we were in the I-League. About that, we will fight in every match. But people must understand we are a new team in the ISL.

“We have so many young players. We need to take this feeling from the I-League. We need to take our wealth of experience gained from playing in the I-League. Some players have been playing for almost five to six years straight in the I-League itself. For us, this is all new. But as I said before, our philosophy will be, if we are going to play a tournament in Kolkata, this is the Indian Super League, we need to do something grand out of this opportunity.”

Andrey Chernyshov further added, “We shall compete against the top Indian players that have represented the Indian football team. We will compete against many talented international players from many nations. We will play against a large number of people who will travel to the stadium from various cities.

“For example, in Kerala, around 40,000 people arrived. In other cities, there are around 25,000 to 30,000. This is also something new for us. But ISL is stronger. There are no questions.

“There is greater power in this league. There is another rhythm and intensity. This is an extremely strong league. Believe me, I can discuss other leagues such as the Serbian League, Macedonian League, Russian League, and Indian Super League. This is an extremely strong league. We need to be prepared for it.”

Coaching an ISL club

With Mohammedan SC making their debut in the ISL this season, it will also be Andrey Chernyshov’s debut stint as a manager in the ISL itself. He sees it as a challenge he will be taking on with utmost positivity and looks at it as a huge opportunity to learn and develop even more.

“As I said before, ISL quality is very high. We need to work very well in the practice. We need to work very hard every day. About all types of conditions. About physical conditions as well as tactical conditions. Because you need to be more serious in ISL. Now we will play against teams that are working with very good coaches from Spain, Greece, and other countries.

“Now, in this short time, we need to make one strong team. Last season we did this job also. I had so many good players, last season. Sometimes we did this. We made one strong team. Now we need again to make this strong team who will show you nice football,” coach Andre Chernyshov finished.

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