"We need points to stay alive", says Mohammedan SC coach ahead of the East Bengal clash

East Bengal will host the Black Panthers at home.

Mohammedan SC are set to face their Kolkata rivals East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). Mohammedan SC will look to turn their fortunes around as they chase three crucial points in their ISL 2025-26 season.

Meanwhile, East Bengal FC will aim to continue their good run of form when they lock horns with the Black Panthers at the Salt Lake Stadium.

East Bengal FC is set to welcome their Kolkata-based rival, Mohammedan SC, on Monday, March 23, 2026, from 19:30 IST at Salt Lake Stadium. This match got postponed from March 21 cause of EID, and now it will be played on March 23.

Ahead of the crucial fixture, Mohammedan SC coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo addressed the media in a pre-match press conference. The stage is set for an intense Kolkata derby with both teams facing pressure right now.

Let us take a look at what he had to say going into the clash.

Faith in the team after inconsistency

After so many inconsistent performances regarding this ISL 2025-26 season, they are still searching for their first win. Coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo is reflecting on their recent match performances, but he has faith with his team.

“Yes, there are chances. We are improving in every match. You can see that we are improving in every match.”

“In the last match too, we were not that good in the first half. In the second half, we showed a dominating performance. We had a lot of positives. Hopefully, we will carry those positives for the next match.”

Derby Pressure for Mohammedan SC

Head coach Wadoo highlighted the challenges the team has faced during this time, as well as those they faced in the earlier stages. Mohammedan SC coach stated a major concern regarding the short time period they had in the preseason that cost them. Despite these challenges, Mehrajuddin Wadoo urges belief in his all-Indian squad, as they put up a good fight against East Bengal FC in the Kolkata Derby.

“No, it is not easy. Every match this season is very challenging for us. East Bengal is a good team. No doubt, their performance in the last three games was not satisfying for the players, coaches and fans.”

But we all know that East Bengal is a very good team. And it is a derby. When both teams get onto the ground, the only objective is to win. And obviously, in our situation at the table, we need points.

Mehrajuddin Wadoo needs points to survive in the ISL

As the league slowly gets its shape, Mohammedan Sporting find themselves in a very tight position, and they have to win their remaining matches in the ISL 2025-26 season. Mohammedan SC coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo stated that he needs to get those points to survive in the league further.

“We need points to survive this season. If we want to keep the club alive in the IndianSuper League, then we need points. So, we also have objectives. We have to collect the points in the next game. And for East Bengal, they will be the same. It will be a good match. If we want to keep the club alive in the Indian Super League, then we need points.”

He further stated, ” We will also challenge. And we know that East Bengal is a good team. But as I said, from our last match, every match is progressing well. There is a good performance. There are a lot of positives. Hopefully, we will do well tomorrow. It doesn’t matter how well we play—we need points.”

Trust in young Indian players against East Bengal FC

After so much uncertainty occurred, Mohammedan SC played this season with a all Indian squad. Many players from the team has rises in this season. Players like Israfil Dewan, Mahitosh Roy, and Tangva Ragui have stepped up for the team when the team needed.

“The foreigners are not in the team. In any team, foreigners obviously add strength. But we have to trust the Indian players, the young players. And we have already trusted them. They have been doing great, whether in training or matches. The result is not in our favour, but there is a ray of hope.”

“We are happy because these young players are improving. Two players have already made it to the national team. That shows progress.”

Injury and squad concerns

Mehrajuddin Wadoo stated the injury list for their upcoming match against East Bengal FC.

There are injuries of 2-3 players. But today we will find out who is injured. Israfil is injured. Hira is injured. So, we will find out after the training today. And tomorrow morning, when the match starts, we will consult the reports, physios and doctors.And then we will announce our squad. Look, Hira didn’t even start in the last match. He came in the second half. Israfil didn’t start in the first two matches. He came in the first two matches. We have some replacements..

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