Sourav Ganguly during the Platinum Jubilee Cup match between Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal, at the Salt Lake Stadium, on Friday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Sourav Ganguly’s love for Manchester United lasted till former England skipper David Beckham played for the English Premier League club. But his love for football has become folklore amongst Sourav fans across the country.

It is widely known that the former India cricket captain was an avid soccer player during his school days. And thousands of Sourav fans got a glimpse of Maharaj kicking the ball around in style for Mohammedan Sporting Club on Friday.

Turning out for the club in a match against East Bengal in the Mohammedan Sporting Platinum Jubilee Cup, Sourav showed he is no novice in the sport. He might not have scored a goal, but rallied toe-to-toe in his first professional football match.

Sourav, donning the number 99 jersey, knit together some wonderful passes with fellow striker Christopher.

But the Nigerian fluffed plenty of times failing to give Mohammedan Sporting an early lead.

Sourav passed the fitness test with flying colours, on Friday, and scored brownie points for some cheeky passes and a side volley that almost got his side into the lead.

Twenty-four minutes into the match, Mohammedan Sporting got a corner kick.

The ball deflected off Mumtaz Akhtar’s header and Sourav launched a side volley in quick reflex action. East Bengal ’keeper Naseem Akhtar parried it easily, but everyone cheered Sourav’s effort from outside the box.

Again seconds before the lemon break, Sourav befuddled an East Bengal defender by suddenly changing direction before releasing the ball for Christopher.

Sourav enjoyed the 60 minutes that he spent on the field and said: “I was playing football after a long time. It was a wonderful experience. It was also a good test of fitness.”

Though Sourav passed the test, his team failed to win the match after East Bengal scored from a late Sanju Pradhan penalty.

Earlier, Mohun Bagan knocked Sheffield FC out of the Mohammedan Sporting Platinum Jubilee Cup, in the meet’s inaugural match.

Bagan defeated the English club 1-0. Incidentally, in 1911 Bagan had vanquished another Yorkshire club, East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 to lift the IFA Shield.

With a handful of near misses from both sides, the first half was hardly eventful and concluded goalless. Things continued to remain the same throughout the second, as the match dragged on to extra time.

It was in the first minute of extra time that Ashim Biswas turned the tide and drove home the winning goal off a Snehasish Chakraborty corner.

Sheffield had been awarded a penalty in the 67th minute as Kinshuk Debnath tripped Jordan Eagers.

However, Bagan ’keeper Sangram Mukherjee saved Ashley Burbeary’s shot.

For Bagan, who had fielded their third team, the tie was a tester of sorts.

“It was my third team, but I was not taking the tie lightly, or treating it as a distraction.

“They are talented boys who generally would not get a chance to play,” coach Stanley Rozario said.

Sheffield manager and player Gavin Smith was all praise for the green and maroon brigade.

“It was a tough tie. The (Bagan) players were a talented bunch. We are not used to playing in such conditions,” he said.

On Sunday arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan meet in the final at the Salt Lake Stadium.