Former Southampton defender Daniel Seaborne has put his move to former I-League champions Mohun Bagan on hold in order to have a trial with Greek giants Olympiacos, according to reports in the Indian media.
Seaborne was all set to join Mohun Bagan for the Mariners’ ongoing Calcutta Football League (CFL) campaign. The Englishman had even trained with the Mohun Bagan squad on Tuesday. However, Seaborne pulled out of the deal just before registering with the Indian Football Association (IFA) for the CFL.
“I took the decision discussing with the club officials as there was no official contract between us and I am leaving on a mutual understanding. I will leave Kolkata within a few days to give trial in a Greek club Olympiacos,” Seaborne was quoted as saying in Goal.com.
While the former Southampton defender justified his decision by saying that he wants to play in the UEFA Champions League, Seaborne also seemed to keep the possibility of a return to Mohun Bagan open. He said, “Everybody thinks of his betterment. As a European footballer I had also the dream of playing the European Champions League. If I do not succeed there, I will return here.”
Tollygunge leading CFL after surprise win over Mohammedan Sporting
Tollygunge Agranami sprung a surprise 2-1 win over Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting, after Pranit Lama churned out a fine performance for the South Kolkata side.
Mohammedan Sporting fell behind early on, as Tollygung’s star Nigerian player Kareem Omolaja curled in a brilliant free kick from close range. Their lead did not last long though, as Mohammedan Sporting’s Ivorian attacker Leonce Dodoz scored with a left-footed shot. However, Lama restored Tollygunj’s lead just four minutes later, heading in a long range free kick from Joel Sunday.
This win takes Tollygunj to the top of the CFL with seven points, while defending champions East Bengal are just one point behind. The Red and Golds have played one match less though. Meanwhile, East Bengal’s arch rivals Mohun Bagan are currently in the fifth spot on the table with just three points. However, the Mariners have played only one game in the competition so far, and can take themselves ahead of East Bengal, with a win against George Telegraph on Wednesday evening.
FC Goa to train in Brazil
After ruling out Dubai, Portugal, and the Netherlands as possible venues for their pre-season training, Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa have marked out Brazil as a possible destination as they prepare for the upcoming campaign, according to a report in The Times of India.
FC Goa were originally set to travel to Dubai, where they carried out their pre-season last year. Head coach Zico was said to have been happy with the facilities in Dubai. However, their ISL rivals Mumbai City FC have already booked the facilities in the Middle Eastern city, which is why FC Goa are now having to look elsewhere for their pre-season.
The TOI report suggests that the Goan franchise are not going to spare any expenses on the pre-season, as they are eager to win the ISL. They are most likely to train at Centro de Futebol Zico, a training facility founded by the FC Goa head coach almost two decades back, in Rio de Janeiro.
