Calcutta: These are not the teams fighting for the title in the National Football League, but Mohammedan Sporting and Tollygunge Agragami will have a lot to play for in their sixth-round tie at Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday.

Tollygunge, having fared quite reasonably till now, will miss four players. Sandip Das and Kabijit Khotel are out with office commitments, while Gouranga Dutta and Ebi Bar Bar have double bookings. Sujit Neogi may replace Bar Bar in deep defence.

Coach Krishnendu Roy said his team will fight with whatever resources they have though Bar Bar’s absence in the back four will be felt. Tollygunge have five points after three draws, a win and a defeat.

Mohammedan Sporting, with the threat of relegation getting bigger with each outing, are still searching for their first win. They have just one point, having lost four of the five matches.

They will miss reliable defender Satish Bharti, who has a hamstring problem, apart from Amjad Khan who has two yellow cards. Coach Jamshed Nassiri has to look for a win and said he will follow a 4-4-2 format.

In the absence of Bharti and Amjad, Shahnawaz Iqbal Khan is likely to fall back and help out others in deep defence. Up front, Edeh Chidi and Dipendu Biswas are expected to form the strike duo.

Md. Sp. show-caused

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked Mohammedan Sporting to show cause for failing to submit in time their list of players before their last match against Churchill Brothers on Friday. The club has to reply in 15 days.

Acording to IFA secretary Subrata Dutta, the AIFF has said following the match commissioner’s complaint that the city team handed over the list after the time agreed upon at the managers’ meeting, the national body has issued the show-cause notice.

Later, Mohammedan Sporting secretary Sultan Ahmed said the club is yet to receive the show-cause letter. “After getting it, we will hold an inquiry and if our officials are found guilty, we will take action against them. But if we find out that we are not at fault, we will send the AIIF an appropriate reply.”

Toruble couldn’t have chosen a worse moment to attack Mohammedan Sporting!