Musah had hidden his injury, say Tolly officials

Calcutta: Even as the threat of relegation from the National Football League top-tier becomes virtually a certainty, Tollygunge Agragami plunged into chaos following another setback ? a 1-3 home defeat to JCT ? on Thursday.

Soon after the match coach Biswajit Das wanted to put in his papers, charging the club officials with interfering with his work. He said club secretary Mantoo Ghosh took over supervision of the team in the first half against JCT and he was involved in the team?s strategy only thereafter.

?I am ready to take the moral responsibility for the team?s show. I wanted to resign today, but the club officials have asked me to continue till the end of the league. I?m really yet to make up my mind? I may not come for the next match (against current leaders Sporting Clube de Goa on Monday),? Das told reporters after the match.

In a related development, the club is also contemplating slapping a suspension on Suley Musah. The club officials exchanged heated words with the Ghanaian in the dressing room after the match and Ghosh even went to the extent of calling the player ?a cheat?.

Musah was later seen leaving the field in a huff.

?Musah has cheated us. He never showed hundred per cent loyalty to the team and its cause. He deliberately didn?t play against East Bengal (in the NFL). He let the club and everybody associated with it down,? Ghosh later remarked.

The view was endorsed by the coach as well.

?I had repeatedly told the club officials to release Musah earlier, because he was playing with a hidden (hip joint) injury. I warned the club officials of my suspicion that there should have been good reasons for East Bengal releasing him. He was responsible for the first two goals today. He simply couldn?t get to the ball on each occasion because of his injury,? Das observed.

The Ghanaian was asked to reply in writing about the Tollygunge charges against him by Saturday. ?If we don?t get any reply from him by then, we?re going to take stern action against him, including suspending him. We?ll intimate the AIFF and IFA before taking our action,? Ghosh pointed out.