Okolie Odafe, on Wednesday

Calcutta: Okolie Odafe, who grabbed headlines till the other day, is fast becoming a footnote. And he could sense it.

Fifty-ninth minute into the Airtel I-League match between Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting, the green-and-maroon brigade got a free-kick just outside the rival box.

In the past, the Bagan captain had scored at will from that position. But those are a thing of the past.

He shot straight into the wall and slumped on the ground in exasperation. Looking skywards, the Nigerian pleaded with God… Probably pleading to give him back those powers, which used to send chill down the spines of rival defenders.

It was just that substitute Ajay Singh did not know how to put the ball into an empty net. It was during injury time and the match remained goalless. Otherwise, Wednesday could have been Bagan’s second Derby loss inside three days, at same old Salt Lake Stadium.

If Odafe looked ragged and battered, Luciano Sabrosa and Mehrajuddin Wadoo were a complete picture in contrast. The Mohammedan Sporting central defenders played their hearts out and deserved all the accolades fans showered on them at the aisle.

When Bagan were throwing everything at Mohammedan Sporting, Luciano and Mehrajuddin stood rock solid. Barring a lone occasion, Odafe could not break free from the shackles of the duo. Agreed, Odafe is a shadow of what he used to be, but still…

The only time when Odafe got the better of them was just after the breather. A turn sent Luciano sprawling on the ground, and a feint took Mehrajuddin the other way. The Bagan captain had only Mohammedan Sporting goalkeeper Luis Barreto to beat. Yet, he couldn’t.

It wasn’t just Odafe who looked demoralised. Tolgay Ozebe, too, was very average. But Mohammedan Sporting coach Abdul Aziz Moshood decided to bench Joshimar and use Tolgay as the lone man up front.

It surprised the Bagan bench, but soon they realised Tolgay is no more the player he used to be. Not for once did he manage to beat Aniyeche Echezona and even when he drifted wide, he was easy meat for Pritam Kotal and Shovik Ghosh.

In frustration, he rammed onto young Ghosh and was lucky to get away with just a yellow card.