The local Derby clash between Mahindra United and Air India is to kick off the Mumbai leg of the revamped and rechristened AIFF Professional League (I-League) at the Cooperage ground in Mumbai on Sunday.
Mahindra, who finished third in the National Football League last year, have done well to reach the finals of this
year's Durand and Federation Cups after losing their entire defensive line to other clubs. They seem to hold the trump cards against their arch-rivals AI in the first match of the tournament in Mumbai. However, Air India have always raised their game against Mahindra and a hard-fought encounter is on the cards.
The airmen's coach Bimal Ghosh on Saturday sounded confident of a good opener though his team will be without the services of one of their defensive pillars, goalkeeper Raju Ekka who is down with food poisoning. EC Sharath is to be under the AI bar to parry off shots from rival players like Yusif Yakubu, who seems to have rediscovered his wonted touch in the local league, and impressive medio Steven Dias.
AI are also worried about the ankle injury sustained by Samson Singh which may leave the dangerous Bashiru Abbas without the necessary support up front. Mahindra would be hoping to carry forward their form for
a sustained spell in the I-League to recapture the title after an year's gap. And a convincing victory over city rivals AI would provide the ideal boost to their quest for the top prize in Indian domestic football.