Pune FC start as favourites in I-League

Pune: A balanced Pune FC open their campaign in the 2012-13 I-League against promoted ONGC FC in their first round match at the Balewadi Sports Complex Stadium on Monday.

The match stays the last of the first-round matches but given the fact that ONGC don’t have the experience of playing in the Premier division for long, Pune FC start as favourites. They look eager to get on with the season after not-so-happy outings in the Durand Cup and Federation Cup in the build up to the League.

With Arata Izumi getting his Indian passport, Pune FC now has luxury of fielding three foreign players what with Sudanese James Moga coming in from Sporting Clube de Goa to bolster the upfront. Moga will have India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua for company and if the two get going, Pune FC can certainly spring many a surprise.

Unfortunately, Pune FC haven’t had enough time to practice on the main ground which was booked for other events. The team has practiced at their own turf at Mamurdi, a few kilometres from the stadium, but coach Derrick Pereira shouldn’t be much worried about that fact and concentrate on the job at hand.

New signings Nikhil Kadam and Japanese Daisuke Nishiguchi from a Moldovan club has brought interesting faces to the Pune FC mid-field, but the Kolhapur-born Kadam, a product of Pune FC’s Under-19 Academy, is still nursing an injury he suffered during a Federation Cup match.

Home grown players need to take centre-stage and perform if Pune FC is to widen its fan base. No doubt the club is professionally managed and its commitment of identifying and rewarding Maharashtra talent is exemplary, but the last season saw most matches being played in front of sparse crowd.

In defence, Zohmingliana Ralte and Nallappan Mohanraj should provide good support to seasoned Anas Edathodika, Gurjinder Kumar, Chika Wali and Othallo Tabia, but the role of custodian has become hugely critical for Pune FC after Subrata Paul stayed out for most part of the 2011-12 season due to injury and on-loan ‘keeper Abhra Mondal breaking his shin bone after doing fine job under the bar that gave Pune FC real chance of finishing in top three.

ONGC on the other hand will have a testing time after having stayed out for two years from top-tier league. Coming here after an impressive show at the Federation Cup where they beat Kalighat MS and drew with Sporting Clube de Goa before narrowly losing to East Bengal, ONGC should have some plan up their sleeves to provide Pune FC a challenge in the opening encounter.