Top five foreigners who played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are arch-rivals in Kolkata football.

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been two of Indian football’s most formidable teams for a long time. Under the moniker Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the former is the current Indian Super League (ISL) Shield champions. On the other hand, the Red and Gold Brigade is still a newcomer to the Indian Super League. Due to their shared hometown, the two clubs have been arch-rivals since the latter’s inception in Indian football, back in 1920.

The 2024–25 Indian football season began on June 25 with the Calcutta Football League 2024. Defending champions Mohammedan SC beat Wari Athletic Club 6-0 in the season opener at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan.

Both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have also started their campaign in the CFL, with the Kolkata Derby set for July 13, with the venue yet to be finalized for the most anticipated game of the tourney. Here, we examine the best five foreign players that have represented both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

5) Bello Razzak

Playing with United SC, he made his name in Indian football initially and was a major factor in the team’s success from 2012 to 2014. The pinnacle of this was reached in 2012 when the team defeated East Bengal 1-0 to win the IFA Shield. Bello Razzak joined Mohun Bagan in the 2014–15 season and was instrumental in the team’s I-League victory.

In the last match of the 2014–15 I-League season, Bello scored his first goal for Mohun Bagan against Bengaluru FC. With three minutes remaining, his header gave Mohun Bagan their fourth national league championship.

He moved to the major rival of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal F.C., in Kolkata for the 2015–16 season. Belo Razzak also made an appearance with Aryan FC in the Calcutta Football League in 2018.

4) Dudu Omagbemi

In 2001, a sixteen-year-old striker from Nigeria traveled to India with the sole purpose of making his mark on Indian football. His tenacious perseverance won him a position in the team during his second try-out at Sporting Club de Goa, but the team ended up becoming his magical canvas.

Dudu Omagbemi played for Sporting Club de Goa till 2007. He then spent seven years in Europe before coming back to India. During his time in Europe, he did play for a few Finnish and Hungarian clubs. The Nigerian striker joined Kolkata giants East Bengal after a brief stint at Salgaocar FC and FC Pune City in 2014. He was successful while playing for the Red and Golds.

One of the most memorable moments from his career remains his four-goal haul in an ecstatic 7-1 victory against Chennai City FC in the I-league. A year later, Dudu joined arch-rivals, Mohun Bagan and was clinical while donning the Green and Maroon outfit.

3) Katsumi Yusa

Katsumi, a native of Fukushima, graduated from the youth program of the Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC In 2007, he was promoted to the club’s senior team where he spent three seasons until 2010 when he went to Paraguay to join Club Sportivo San Lorenzo and played there for a season.

During his four-season stint with the Mohun Bagan, Katsumi was a reliable lieutenant for the Green and Maroon. The athlete arrived in India in 2011 and played for ONGC for two seasons before joining Bagan in 2013.

One of Mohun Bagan’s top players in the last decade, the midfielder was instrumental in helping the team win the Federation Cup in 2016 and the coveted I-League title in 2015. Among the most lethal in the nation was the combination of Yusa Katsumi and Sony Norde on the Bagan flanks. He joined East Bengal in 2017 and was successful there too before joining I-League side, Neroca FC.

2) Chidi Edeh

Chidi Edeh, the Calcutta Football League’s 2009 season hat-trick hero for Mohun Bagan, was the primary benefactor of Mohun Bagan’s 5-3 triumph over East Bengal in the Kolkata Derby. The former Kedah striker scored over 100 goals in the National Football League and I-League.

In India, he has taken home many championships, including the Federation Cup, Calcutta Premier League, and I-League. During the 2013–14 season, Edeh last played in the I-League for East Bengal.

Together with Brazilian linchpin Jose Ramirez Barreto, the pair became Mohun Bagan’s most inconspicuous attacking tandem under Karim Bencherifa. Chidi joined Aizawl FC, the previous I-League winners, in 2023 and stayed with them till the conclusion of the season.

1) Chima Okorie

Nigerian striker Chima Okorie was among those players who captivated the audience of the Kolkata maidan with his sheer scoring ability in and around the 18-yard box. He could hardly have predicted that playing for his university team would fundamentally alter his career path when he moved to Kolkata in 1984 to pursue his studies in architecture.

As it stands, Okorie began his professional career with Mohammedan SC in Kolkata in 1985 and eventually hung up his boots with Bengal-Mumbai FC in 2002. He has played for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. He was also the talisman of East Bengal’s treble victory in 1990 alongside Krishanu Dey.

‘He was also crowned the top scorer of the Calcutta Football League twice during his time at the Kolkata Maidan. The first time was in 1997 with 26 goals for Mohammedan SC, and the second time was in 1991 with 11 goals while playing for East Bengal and leading the Red and Golds as well. He was also named the first foreign international player signed by Mohun Bagan in 1997.

Notable mentions

Brazilian trequartista Douglas da Silva and Australia’s Tolgay Ozbey are the two players who are not included in this article but have had an influence on the field with both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal during their stints at both the clubs.

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