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Updated March 12th, 2021 at 19:08 IST

ISL Final: Bartholomew Ogbeche reveals Sandesh Jhingan worry, talks about love for PSG

Ahead of the ISL final, Mumbai City FC striker Bartholomew Ogbeche has identified former Blasters teammate Sandesh Jhingan as a major threat to his chances.

Reported by: Sreehari Menon
ISL Final
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The Indian Super League (ISL) title is within touching distance and Mumbai City FC striker Bartholomew Ogbeche is keeping his spirits high as the final approaches. The former Nigerian international has been one of the most potent strikers in the ISL in recent seasons, and while he has found game-time hard to come by with the Islanders, he has made his mark with telling contributions throughout the season. And ahead of the ATK Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC clash, Ogbeche has offered his thoughts on going against former teammate Sandesh Jhingan, his relationship with Paris Saint-Germain and Mauricio Pochettino and the ISL season. 

ISL Final: Bartholomew Ogbeche wary of facing former teammate Sandesh Jhinghan 

Speaking to the media ahead of the ISL Final, Bartholomew Ogbeche has identified ATK Mohun Bagan defender Sandesh Jhingan as one of the key threats from the game. The duo spent time together at Kerala Blasters last season and bonded together despite the Indian stalwart missing the entire season due to an injury. When quizzed whether the familiarity makes it easier for him to go against the centre-back, Ogbeche on the contrary said that it made his job more difficult. 

Sandesh [Jhingan] knows me very well and I also know him in and out. The fact is we know each other very well, and there is a saying 'it takes a thief to catch a thief', so it becomes more difficult to go against him. In that case, he knows what I like, where I like to attack and all that. And it makes it even harder to be honest.

- Ogbeche on going against teammate Sandesh Jhingan 

Bart however is confident in his team's ability and claims that it one of the great strengths of the side that they don't have just one focal point or torchbearer of the team. The 36-year-old said that the Islanders have different players to pull the strings on the field, which makes it difficult for the opposition to stop them. On a personal level, Ogbeche wants to continue his good form and knows that there can be no shortcomings against a team like ATK Mohun Bagan. 

"I have a lot of love for Paris Saint-Germain, still in contact with Pochettino"

Bartholomew began his career in France, coming through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain who had the likes of Barcelona legend Ronaldinho and current manager Mauricio Pochettino on their roster. The striker has fond memories of his time with PSG and said that he imbibed as much as he could during his years there. Ogbeche said that he is grateful for the chance at Paris, and claimed them to be his second home after Nigeria. 

I was fortunate enough to play with some of the greatest players to have played the game of football. I am still in touch with many of my former teammates including Mauricio [Pochettino] who is currently the head coach of the team. Bernard [Mendy] who was here in the ISL a few years ago, also remains a very good friend of mine and is currently the coach of PSG's women's team.

I learnt a lot from them and that's what helped me to come this far in my career. I'm grateful and happy and proud to see the growth of the team, and everyone knows that the ultimate goal is to win the Champions League. They are on the right track and will hopefully win it this season. I just have words of praises for the team and they hopefully get to the top of world football. 

The ISL has evolved and the quality of the league is improving and increasing 

Bartholomew Ogbeche is now a seasoned campaigner in the ISL and is currently in his third consecutive season in India. While the Nigerian refrained from outright calling it the most competitive season so far, he did hint at considering the challenges faced by all teams for this 'special' season. The former PSG striker also added that the merger of ATK and Mohun Bagan and the arrival of East Bengal further improved the quality of the ISL.

We can be happy about some of the best teams in the country joining the ISL and we can hope that more and more teams follow suit in the coming seasons. I think the ISL has definitely evolved and the improvement is for everyone to see considering that deciding the winners, the playoffs and everything is going down to the wire. It ranks somewhere around the most competitive season I have played in.

Bart has played in 22 games for the Islanders this season, scoring 8 goals, despite only starting games consistently towards the end of the league stage. The Nigerian has scored in both fixtures against ATK Mohun Bagan earlier this season and will look to cap off the final with a win. Mumbai have already bagged the ISL League Winner's Shield, pipping the Kolkata giants, and will hope to get one over Antonio Habas' side on Saturday. 

(Image Courtesy: ISL Twitter)

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Published March 12th, 2021 at 19:08 IST

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