Calcutta: The stage was set. The name of the opponents’ coach was Philippe de Ridder. It was reason enough for Mike Okoro to be fired up. He scored a brace against Chirag United and declared that he had proved a point. To himself, to his fans and most importantly, to the Belgian, the man with whom the Nigerian got involved in a battle of egos last season at East Bengal.

“This is my message to De Ridder. I am still alive”,Okoro thundered after Thursday’s match.

The Nigerian, who considers Mohammedan Sporting coach Subhas Bhowmick as “more of a father figure”, saluted him promptly after scoring his second goal.

“I am still not finished”, Okoro said. “In fact, with four goals in three matches, I am better now than last season. I have just proved that”.

According to Bhowmick, he had given no special instructions to Okoro.

“I told him he would be marked heavily and advised him to come down and switch flanks. He is a professional and knows his job,” said Bhowmick.

On Okoro’s salute, the coach said, “he was probably returning my salute which I did to him in the match against Eastern Railway”.