ISL 2024-25: Mohammedan Sporting signs Santosh Trophy star Robi Hansda on loan
ISL 2024-25: Mohammedan Sporting signs Santosh Trophy star Robi Hansda on loan
Mohammedan Sporting has added firepower to its arsenal, signing Robi Hansda, the star of the Santosh Trophy 2024-25, on loan until the end of the season.
Hansda, who plays for Calcutta Customs in the Calcutta Football League (CFL), led West Bengal to its first men’s Senior Nationals title (Santosh Trophy) in seven years, scoring 12 goals in eight games, including the winner against Kerala in the final.
“The deal is done and he will be on loan with us for six months. We were looking for an in-form striker at the moment and he fits the bill,” Dipendu Biswas, the secretary of Mohammedan Sporting, told Sportstar.
“As I was a forward myself, I feel when a player starts getting goals, he keeps getting them at a stretch, and I hope that proves to be the case with him,” he added.
Sportstar understands that many clubs, including East Bengal, were interested in signing the 25-year-old forward, but Hansda chose the Black Panthers with the hope of more first-team game time.
Mohammedan Sporting had previously nurtured David Lalhansanga to become a prominent face in the Indian football circuit, winning the Golden Boot in the Durand Cup and CFL in 2023.
In the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL), Mohammedan Sporting’s only win came from a goal by another Indian forward, Lalremsanga Fanai.
“If a player scored 12 goals in a tournament, it is never a fluke. We will try to guide him (Hansda) and use his exploits in the remaining half of the season and then decide how to proceed,” Dipendu said.
Mohammedan Sporting, which earned promotion to the ISL after winning the I-League last season, has failed to impress in the premier division, with nine losses and four draws in 14 games.
It sits at the bottom of the table and has failed to find the back of the net with foreign strikers Carlos Franca and Cesar Manzoki. In such a case, Hansda might provide the silver lining as Andrey Chernishov’s men look for optimism in the latter half of the season.
