When friends turn foe

The AFC qualifier between Abahani Ltd and ATK Mohunbagan FC in Kolkata is set to deliver a match-up between familiar faces as Abahani skipper Nabib Newaz Jibon will face off against Mohunbagan’s Indian international Pritam Kotal.

Nabib, who had travelled to Kolkata for a knee surgery back in 2021, became acquainted with Pritam and his fiancé, Sonela Paul, and said that the Indian defender had helped him during his recovery days.

Not only that, when a lockdown was imposed in West Bengal, Sonela drove Nabib to the India-Bangladesh border in Petrapole so that he can come back to Bangladesh with ease in those uncertain times.

Now, the friends will turn foe as Nabib’s Abahani take on Pritam’s Mohunbagan in the AFC Cup qualifier at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday. Nabib and his team reached Kolkata on Sunday and the Bangladesh striker packed gift with him before making the trip.

He presented a Bangladesh national team jersey to Sonela, whose grandparents hailed from Dhaka.

Nabib and Pritam will both captain their sides on Tuesday’s encounter and the winner of the match will qualify for the group-stage of the AFC Cup.

Abahani will bank on Brazilian midfielder Raphael Augusto’s creative exploits in the middle of the park to create chances and will look to talisman Daniel Colindres to deliver with the goals to take them through.

Raphael believes that the match against Mohunbagan will be a formidable one but assured that his team is up for it.

“I have watched a few Mohunbagan games. They are a strong side and it will be difficult challenge. But we have a strong side as well. Anything can happen,” he said.

Raphael has considerable experience of playing in the Indian Super League with a couple of championship winning stints at Chennaiyin FC in 2015 and 2017-18. He signed for Bengaluru FC in 2019 before joining Abahani in 2020.

Newly appointed Bangladesh coach, Javier Cabrera, has his bids on Abahani to go through.

“I think Abahani will beat Mohunbagan and go thorugh,” he said to The Business Post.