I-League: Mohun Bagan AC coach Sanjoy Sen says his ban will not affect side's performance

New Delhi: Mohun Bagan were hit with a big blow last week after coach Sanjoy Sen was banned for eight matches for his outburst against All India Football Federation (AIFF) in late January.

The manager will not be sitting at Mohun Bagan's technical bench in the remaining I-League fixtures this season.

Bagan are the leaders in the I-League campaign this term and the side will look to defend their title without their manager. Sen said his absence should not affect his side's performance.

"I cannot say about the ban and whether it would be reduced but it will not affect Mohun Bagan's performance. I have trust on my support staff. I am sure that they will manage the situation with ease," Sen said.

Sen was banned for eight matches and slapped a Rs 8 lakh fine for his outburst against the AIFF.

Sen will not be available for Mohun Bagan's remaining six I-League matches as well as two in the Federation Cup.

But the Kolkata side's manager will be able to officiate in their away AFC Cup match against South China AA March 9 at the Mongkok Stadium, Hong Kong.

Sen said that his side needs to be cautious as the opponent has good speed.

"I have seen some clippings of them. They have a good speed. We have to be very cautious," he said.

The Mariners have started their AFC Cup campaign on a high and will look to win the crucial fixture in Hong Kong and register crucial victories.

The Squad: Debjit Majumdar, Shilton Paul, Kinshuk Debnath, Bikramjit Singh, Kean Lewis, Katsumi Yusa, Pritam Kotal, Cornell Glen, Sanjay Balmuchu, Souvik Chakraborty, Shouvik Ghosh, Prabir Das, Lenny Rodrigues, Sony Norde, Luciano Sobrosa, Pronay Halder, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Abhishek Das.

(With PTI inputs)