by Abhishek Gujral

The National Football League (NFL) is once more around the corner, and fans across the country wait with bated breath, as 12 of India's best teams take on each other in the ultimate battle for supremacy. East Bengal's much publicized victory in the ASEAN Club Championship, as well as some decent performances by the national side has led to a renewed interest in the state of Indian football. So as the NFL is about to begin for only the 8th time, the questions are intriguing - can East Bengal continue their dominance? Or will the Goan clubs finally rise to the occasion? Will Mohammedan Sporting - arguably the Indian club with the biggest supporter base - live up to the hype? Let us have a look at the various clubs involved and rate their chances:
Below you see the clubs listed according to their NFL finish last season and the predictions of the three indianfootball.com editors on how we think the clubs will finish this season. Some real differences in our predictions...
You cand discuss this all in our indianfootball.com forum .

East Bengal Club, Calcutta - The defending champions will once again be the team to beat. Their form has been admittedly patchy in recent months, but is slowly showing signs of improving. And if they play to their potential, East Bengal will no doubt win the league in a canter. The champions' team sheet boasts the who's who of Indian football - international goalkeepers Sangram Mukherjee and Sandip Nandy, international defenders Mahesh Gawli, Debjit Ghosh, Deepak Kumar Mondal and M.Suresh. Skipper Suleiman Musah of Ghana and Brazilian Douglas da Silva will play very important roles as defensive midfielders. The flair shall come from a certain Alvito D'Cunha, easily the most talented midfielder in the country today. His skills are sublime, and a delight to watch. He is also capable of scoring plenty of goals, with a left foot as sweet as any. The team also has two of India's hottest youngsters: left-winger Subhash Chakraborty and the right-sided midfielder Malswam Tulunga or 'Mama' as he is better known. Upfront, India captain Baichung Bhutia will no doubt pile in the goals, along with Nigerian Mike Okoro. The latter is a tad inconsistent, but on his day can be lethal. However, for all their strengths, East Bengal desperately needs a creative midfielder. Coach, Subhash Bhowmick, is looking to fill this gap with a foreigner - the right signing may well complete the jigsaw and promise good results in the AFC Champions League as well.
ARUNAVA prediction: 1.
CHRIS prediction: 1.
ABHISHEK prediction: 1.

Salgaocar Sports Club, Goa - The Goan league champions, who finished second last season, should once again be East Bengal's closest competitors. Salgaocar's main strength is clearly the midfield - the Indian international trio of Tomba Singh, Jatin Singh Bisht and Climax Lawrence, along with left-winger Dharamjit Singh, is one that all sides should be wary of. Tomba, in particular, has been absolutely sensational in recent times, and has emerged as a key player for club and country. He will no doubt be heavily marked, but if he can maintain his early season form, there are sure to be chances aplenty for the strikers. Captain Climax Lawrence too is a class act, and has improved leaps and bounds over the last two seasons. The defence will be led by the experienced Roberto Fernandes - he has been with the club for eight years now, and his composure may well prove to be priceless in pressure situations. The signing of talented goalkeeper Rajat Ghosh Dastidar from Mohun Bagan is a good move that should take care of the custodian's job. The only area where Salgaocar has cause to worry is upfront. The team is too dependent on the midfield for goals, and needs a quality striker. The club will no doubt be signing a couple of key foreigners soon. One striker the club signed a short while back is Nigerian Felix Ibrebru. He has some priceless experience with the Italian Serie A side Udinese Calcio's second team in the. All in all, the Salgaocar players will have to be at the top of their game throughout the season if they are to run East Bengal close.
ARUNAVA prediction: 2,
CHRIS prediction: 7.
ABHISHEK prediction: 2.

Vasco Sports Club, Goa - Vasco has been surprisingly in very poor form this season, finishing a dismal 6th in the Goa league. The question is can they get they act together and put up a good show in the NFL? I think they will. Vasco is too good a side to under-perform for so long, and the players surely realize the importance of the NFL. As always, Vasco's ace in the pack is likely to be it's Brazilian contingent. The return of experienced goalkeeper Rogerio Ramos is a timely boost. Among the rest, there are several players that catch the eye -none less than international midfielder Krishnan Ajayan. Ajayan is arguably one of the quickest players around, and will surely look to excel as a left-winger. The rest of the midfield is likely to be centered around the likes of Harvinder Singh, Menino Fernandes and the pint-sized Denis Cabral. Selwyn Fernandes and Seby Dias are more than reliable defenders, and will be assisted by left wingback Kamal Thapa and the talented youngster Vinu Jose. Upfront, Vasco will rely heavily on the nippy Agnelo Gomes as well as Mohammed Quizar. Two other players who have been in good form lately are goalkeeper Saji Joy and Sukhwinder Singh. All said and done, if the Brazilian imports do make an impact as expected, Vasco may well surprise a few.
ARUNAVA prediction: 9.
CHRIS prediction: 9.
ABHISHEK prediction: 6.

Jagajit Cotton and Textile Mills, Phagwara - The mill-men from Phagwara shocked plenty of people-including myself, I must admit - by finishing 4th in the NFL last season. However, I really get the feeling they are up against it this time. The team is made up mainly of Punjabi youngsters, along with the inseparable duo of Indian football - yes; I am talking about I.M. Vijayan and Joe Paul Ancheri. Vijayan, who has recently retired from international football after a brilliant outing in the Afro-Asian Games will be keen to continue with the good work for his club. His best mate Joe Paul Ancheri will no doubt be the trump card for the mill-men. He is India's classiest defensive midfielder, and has a deadly left foot when it comes to long shots. Other important players include the seasoned defenders K.V. Dhanesh and Nigerian Musa Aliu, experienced Nigerian striker Stephen Abarowei and talented Ghanaian goalkeeper Mohammed Mansuru. With most of JCT's key players having left for Mohun Bagan, one can safely conclude that Ancheri needs to be injury free throughout the season for them to have any sort of chance.
ARUNAVA prediction: 6.
CHRIS prediction: 3.
ABHISHEK prediction: 9.

Churchill Brothers Sports Club, Goa - To be perfectly honest, Churchill Brothers may well end up putting up a good show in the NFL, and make me look rather silly. However I have my doubts. Churchill Bros has not really looked anything special in recent times, and lacks consistency. The one man who can single handedly turn them around is Ghanaian striker Yakubu Yusif. Yakubu has been the top scorer in the NFL for the past 2 seasons, and is arguably the most consistent foreigner playing in India at the moment. Having said that, you can be more than certain that he is going to be very tightly marked in all the games. Besides him, the side looks fairly ordinary. Noel Wilson and Roque Barerto will control the midfield, along with pre-NFL signing Hardip Singh Sangha from Punjab Police. It's good to see Hardip back among the big boys. He is a strong lad, and a fierce competitor, and will probably be the key man in the midfield. Captain Osumanu Husseini will lead the defence, and will be assisted by the likes of Denzil Ferrao, Mir Farooq Hyder and Pio Rodrigues. Churchill Brothers will need to improve leaps and bounds if they are to make any sort of impact this season.
ARUNAVA prediction: 7.
CHRIS prediction: 4.
ABHISHEK prediction: 8.

Dempo Sports Club, Goa - Dempo ran Salgaocar close in the Goa league, before missing out on the title by a solitary point. The players will surely want to build on this on in the NFL. Actually, Dempo seems to be the second best Goan team this season - somewhat surprisingly I might had. The team sheet boasts some more than useful players who play well as a unit. The man to look out for is Liberian international striker Sunday Seah, who has moved to Dempo after scoring 20 NFL goals in the last two seasons for fierce rivals Salgaocar. He is likely to be partnered upfront by former Mohun Bagan striker R.C.Prakash. Prakash rose into prominence three years ago, when he scored 10 NFL goals for Bagan, which resulted in him being capped by the country. He has faded somewhat since then, and will be keen to prove his critics wrong. Dempo also has Francis 'Pocket' Silveira in its ranks. The veteran striker is still good for at least half a dozen goals a season. However the trump card in Dempo's ranks may well turn out to be right wingback Sameer Naik. Sameer is arguably the best Indian in his position, and runs tirelessly up and down the right flank, putting in plenty of useful crosses. Veteran midfielder Mario Soares too is likely to play an important role in the middle of the park, assisted by the likes of Lazarus Fernandes and Clifford Miranda. Other players who could make an impact include Stanley Colaco, Wilton Gomes and Nascimento Silveira. Finally, let's not forget two very talented youngsters that Dempo can boast of - international striker Alex Ambrose and left wingback Raju Singh. In goal Dempo have the choice between the safe pair of hands between V.P. Satish Kumar and Abhijit Mondal. Dempo should be more than happy if they manage a top-5 finish.
ARUNAVA prediction: 4.
CHRIS prediction: 11.
ABHISHEK prediction: 5.

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, Calcutta - My apologies to all the Bagan fans out there - I do not see them in the top 3 yet again! The club has four quality players - unfortunately the rest do not inspire much confidence. They are Jose Ramirez Barreto, Marcos Pereira, skipper Renedy Singh and the brilliant Ashim Biswas. The last named in particular is extremely talented, and easily India's brightest young striker. As has been the case now for years, Brazilian Barreto will also be a handful in front of goal. Key midfielder Renedy Singh, Bagan's captain, should be instrumental in most moves, and will always be a threat from set pieces. Among the rest, very few catch the eye, and this is where I fear Bagan will struggle. The central defensive pairing of Debkumar Sashmal and rookie Sanjeev Kumar Maria is a major worry. Fullbacks Lolendra Singh and Babun Kar are ordinary at best. The versatile Rishi Kapoor along with young Manitombi Singh will probably have to share a lot of the workload. Bagan coach Aloke Mukherjee is a shrewd customer, and his strategies will have to be on the spot if Bagan is to make it anywhere near the top.
ARUNAVA prediction: 5.
CHRIS prediction: 8.
ABHISHEK prediction: 4.

Mahindra United, Mumbai - English coach David Booth has done a fantastic job with the club in a short time, and this Mumbai club is one to watch. Not only did Mahindra United win the prestigious Federation Cup, they followed it up with a good victory in the invitational POMIS tournament in the Maldives. The jeepmen have under performed year after year, and that too with a remarkably high budget. This season will surely mark a turning point for them. Once again, the club's strength is its midfield: Shanmugam Venkatesh, Jules Alberto, captain Khalid Jamil and the brilliant James Singh. These four players can be devastating on their day - unfortunately they lack consistency. Alberto, in particular, was at one point the finest attacking midfielder in the country, but has faded away in recent times. He will no doubt be keen to prove a point or two. The defence also looks good with two very talented youngsters in Covan Lawrence and Arun Malhotra, along with Ghanaian Odartey Lawson. Upfront, Raphael Patron Akakpo from Togo is sure to score plenty of goals, and he has a more than able partner in international striker Abhishek Yadav. Further players to keep an eye on are Ivory Coast junior international Monga Aby Samson, who is pacey and has an eye for goals plus their new Ghanian striker Felix Aboagye, who comes with experience in the Greek and Egyptian leagues. On paper, the Mahindra team sheet is very impressive. If the players can get their act together, a top-3 finish is certain for the Mumbai champions.
ARUNAVA prediction: 3.
CHRIS prediction: 2.
ABHISHEK prediction: 3.

Tollygunge Agragami, Calcutta - One cannot help but feel bad for everyone associated with Tollygunge. The odds are up against them every season: limited finances, exodus of talented players to bigger clubs and practically ignored by the local media. Yet they perform their heart out every season, and defy the odds to keep their place in the NFL. However, as spirited as they are, I really feel relegation looms large over their head this season. The competition is likely to be very tough and new coach Krishnendu Roy is quite certain to have a headache or two. Midfield playmaker Amit Das is going to be a key man, and Nigerian brothers Isiaka Awoyemi and Akeem Abolanle once again will share most of the workload along with other foreigners - returning Kenyan Moses Owira and Nigerian Kenneth Onu. But it will also depend if the youngsters live upto the occasion of the big league. All the best to the players - they have won the respect of all through sheer hard work, and they will fight to the very end.
ARUNAVA prediction: 10.
CHRIS prediction: 5.
ABHISHEK prediction: 11.

Indian Bank Sports and Recreation Club, Chennai - I'm afraid a club like Indian Bank with a shoe-string budget and limited ambitions stands absolutely no chance of survival. Relegation is almost a certainty - and deep down inside I think the lads know it. The Chennai side has no big names at all, and will rely heavily on experienced former international Syed Sabir Pasha and young Mahendra Mani for goals. That aside, the players are ordinary at best, and as I just mentioned stand no chance whatsoever.
ARUNAVA prediction: 11.
CHRIS prediction: 10.
ABHISHEK prediction: 12.

Sporting Clube de Goa, Goa - Having won promotion to the NFL after winning the second division last season, many people may think that Sporting Clube will just look for survival in the NFL this season. Think again. After finishing a creditable 3rd in the Goa league, they will surely be looking to make an impact in the NFL. Sporting play well within their limitations, and have tremendous team spirit. They also have a certain Nigerian striker by the name of MacPherlin Dudu Omagbemi. Dudu as he is better known, is one of the better strikers in the country today. He is quick, and displays maturity way beyond his 18 years. In fact, he scored an astonishing 18 goals in just 13 games during the second division last season! Other players to watch out for include skipper Bibiano Fernandes, midfielder Avinash Thapa, striker Alvito Rodrigues, and the very talented custodian, Felix D'Souza. Guided by coach Peter Vales and assistant coach Clifford Chukwama of Nigeria, this side is going to surprise a few people.
ARUNAVA prediction: 8.
CHRIS prediction: 6.
ABHISHEK prediction: 7.

Mohammedan Sporting Club, Calcutta - There has been plenty of hype surrounding Mohammedan's first ever entry into the NFL - and understandably so. Mohammedan Sporting represents a large section of the Muslim fan following in India, and can boast of the largest fan base in the country. It is indeed good to see them in the big league. Now let's get to the facts: the team looks ordinary and I'm afraid the boys in black and white are up against it. Barring the likes of midfield star Bungo Singh and international defender Satish Kumar Bharti, the side lacks quality. Talented striker Syed Rahim Nabi seems to have faded away this season, and captain Dipendu Biswas lacks consistency. New coach Shankar Moitra has one hell of a job - it is by no mean going to be easy to live up to the expectations of the demanding fans.
ARUNAVA prediction: 12.
CHRIS prediction: 12.
ABHISHEK prediction: 10.

Well, all I can say is - let the action start!