Mohun Bagan target hat-trick of home wins in I-League

Kolkata, Jan 16 (IANS) Buoyed by their two victories, Kolkata football giants Mohun Bagan will look to make it three consecutive home wins when they take on Minerva Punjab FC in a third round I-League football match here on Tuesday.

The home team has won against Churchill Brothers and Shillong Lajong and with the arrival of star Haitian marksman Sony Norde, Sanjoy Sen's charges will look to go from strength to strength at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium.

Minerva, on the other hand, were given direct entry into the I-League along with Chennai City FC. Coached by Surinder Singh, the Punjab side has Nigerians Loveday Enyinnaya and Joel Sunday as their top foreign recruits.

A host of India national team age-group players who all played under then youth coach Colm Toal form the core of the team. Toal has been named the technical director of the club.

But he is yet to arrive in India from his base in the US and when asked about him, Surinder was left looking for answers.

"We still don't know the dates. He will come soon," Surinder told reporters on Monday on the eve of the match.

Sen said there will be changes in the team after regular players Kingshuk Debnath and Sehnaj Singh picked up injuries in the last match against Shillong.

"I don't make too many changes to the team. but there are some I have to make," the former United SC coach said.

On Norde, Sen hinted he may not start the match and can be used as a substitute later.

"Whether he is still fit to play 90 minutes or not we will have to see."

Defender Eduardo Fereirra, who is yet to play for the club after signing ahead of the tournament, may get his first start on Tuesday.

Minerva will be without first choice goalkeeper Ravi Kumar, who is injured. "We have Kamaljit (Singh) and Arshaeep (Singh) in our ranks. We cannot do anything about it."