Mohun Bagan refuse to release players for India camp

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan Super Giant are on a collision course with the All India Football Federation. A day after crashing out of the Durand Cup, the Indian Super League champions have decided to put their foot down in releasing their players for the ongoing national camp in Bengaluru, citing the Jose Molina-managed team's own preparation of the AFC Champions League Two and dealing a blow to new India coach Khalid Jamil's preparations for the Central Asian Football Association Nations Cup.

Of the 35-odd players picked by Jamil for the preparatory camp, Mohun Bagan have seven, the most from a single team. They are Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia Ralte 'Apuia', Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad and goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.

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East Bengal have three players — Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh and Naorem Mahesh Singh — called up for the same camp. East Bengal will take a call on releasing the trio after the tournament. India have been invited to play in the CAFA Nations Cup, co-hosted by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and starting from Aug 29. This will be Jamil's first assignment as India coach. The AIFF had earlier sought cooperation from the clubs to release the players. But it has been learnt that essentially two factors — the federation’s ‘neglect’ towards player welfare and the tournament being held outside the Fifa window — have forced the Bagan management to take a confrontational approach towards AIFF’s request.