I-LEAGUE Media Team
NEW DELHI: On the surface, this seems to be Sangbad Pratidin Bhawanipore FC’s best chance ever – the chance to qualify for the main phase of the I-League 2014-15. As they move to Silchar for the first phase of the final round, they stay confident yet cautious.
Bhawanipore FC had secured second position in the qualifying phase of the 2nd Division League 2013/14 from Group B. The Club from Kolkata played four games and bagged seven points, two short of the Group B leaders Delhi’s Hindustan FC.
So far, Bhawanipore FC have won two matches in the Preliminary phase and have scored eight goals. Nigerian forward Bidemi Ayeni Daniel stays the top-scorer for the Team with 3 goals.
18-year old Abinash Ruidas is the youngest player of the squad. He attended the U-22 trial in Bangalore arranged by the AIFF just before the start of the preliminary round of the 2nd Division League this season.
Among the foreigners in the squad, the most striking name is that of Brazilian forward and former Mohun Bagan striker Jose Ramirez Barreto. The Brazilian, now 37, had been a hero for the Green and Maroon brigade between 1999 and 2004, as well as, between 2006 and 2012; wherein he achieved the feat of being the only non-Indian Footballer to score 200 goals for a single Club.
Apart from Barretto, Alex Petroman and Daniel Bidemi are the other foreign recruits of Bhawanipore FC from Brazil and Nigeria respectively.
Bhawanipore have had a good preparatory Camp for the second division at the Ankurhati Football Ground in Howrah, West Bengal, under the strict eyes of Brazilian Head Coach, Juliano Fontana.
Bhawanipore play their first match against Kolkata side Kalighat Milan Sangha in the Final Round opener at the Satindra Mohan Dev Stadium in Silchar on March 23, 2014.
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