In the twilight of a coaching career that has spanned four continents and 34 years, one that saw him win La Liga as Rafa Benitez’s assistant, take Bolivia to the Copa America, and narrowly miss winning the league in South Africa, Antonio Lopez Habas found India. “2014 was the start of a fantastic adventure,” he said. The 66-year-old Mohun Bagan Super Giant coach is now one game “from completing the circle” for the season. Standing between Mohun Bagan, league shield winners in season 10 of the Indian Super League (ISL), and the ISL trophy are Mumbai City FC. In a league-cum-knockout format, the best teams don’t always survive till the end – Mumbai City FC very nearly did not. But Saturday’s final at a partisan, sold out Salt Lake stadium will be a meeting between teams that have been the best for the longest in 2023-24. Mohun Bagan and Mumbai had the most points after the league stage (48-47), most wins (16-16), most goals (50-47) and most clean sheets (9-9) going into the final. Conceding 21 goals in 24 games makes Mumbai ISL’s tightest defence but Mohun Bagan breached that when it mattered most – in the last match of the league to win the league shield. FC Goa were pacesetters in the season of interruptions due to national team engagements but Mohun Bagan ended their unbeaten run before Mumbai beat them 5-2 on aggregate in the semi-final. Both teams reacted well to the mid-season change of coaches. “Nothing changed,” said Mumbai captain Rahul Bheke referring to Petr Kratky’s first game after Des Buckingham left. “He (Habas) gave us belief,” said Dimitri Petratos explaining the turnaround after three successive losses led to Juan Ferrando’s sacking. “We started the season as a group. Now, we are family,” said Mohun Bagan captain Subhasish Bose. The finalists shared 2-1 wins in the league phase and both have a player suspended. Mohun Bagan will miss the front-third bustle of Armando Sadiku and Mumbai will be without the solidity of Yoëll van Nieff in midfield and the edge he provides in set-plays. Mumbai may also miss left-back Akash Mishra due to injury. But as Kratky pointed out on Friday, including influential midfielder Greg Stewart who left in January, Mumbai have coped with the absence of crucial players through the season. “Against Goa in Goa, there was one foreigner on the pitch,” Kratky, the Mumbai coach, said referring to when Mumbai City turned a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 win deep in stoppage time. Twenty-five of their goals have come from Indians, the most for any team this season. Four of their five goals in the semi-final were scored by Indians. Vikram Partap Singh has had a breakout season with eight goals, including a hattrick, and four assists but headlining those numbers with 10 goals and six assists is Lallianzula Chhangte. Bose would have lost count of the number of questions directed at him about the possible threat from Chhangte. Comfortable on either wing, it is Chhangte’s ability to play centrally that makes him a handful. Playing a back three as Mohun Bagan often do could leave space and Chhangte and Bipin Singh will demand defensive discipline from Mohun Bagan’s possible wingbacks Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco. Twenty-nine of Mohun Bagan’s goals have come from Petratos (10), Jason Cummings (11) and Sadiku. But Manvir Singh and Colaco have chipped in with important goals as has Sahal Abul Samad and Anirudh Thapa. Since his return after a year of recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Joni Kauko has been the cement that has held the midfield together. So it was apt that Habas would say “there are no favourites in a final.” And that Kratky would comment that “Mohun Bagan are good but I am confident we have the team to match them.” They were a “little passive” at the start of the league game here, Kratkty said. “That caught up with us in the end. It will be different tomorrow.” What won’t be is the expected presence of over 60,000 Mohun Bagan fans. “They give us energy, one of the best I have seen,” said Petratos, quite the fans’ darling after two seasons in green-and maroon. The experience of playing Durand Cup and the away game in the league has prepared Mumbai for that, Bheke said. The final awaits.
Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC: Final Curtain For Antonio Lopez Habas’ Indian Odyssey?
