Kolkata : Mumbai City FC delivered a clinical 4-0 rout against Mohammedan Sportimg Club in their Indian Super League 2025-26 encounter at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday, May 15, 2026, relegating the latter to the IFL.
The defeat confirmed Mohammedan SC’s relegation to the Indian Football League for next season, leaving the hosts firmly rooted to the bottom of the table.
With this victory, Petr Kratky’s side rose from seventh to third place, drawing level on points with league leaders East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, only trailing the Kolkata giants on goal difference.
Early strikes from Sahil Panwar and Zothanpuia, an own goal from Sajad Hussain Parray, and a late Brandon Fernandes finish secured a comprehensive win for the Islanders.
It was one-way traffic as the Islanders rattled Mohammedan SC early on, taking mere seconds to open the scoring and stamp their authority.
From the corner, Puipuia’s early delivery caused problems in the box in the very first minute. Sahil Panwar safely guided the ball into the net at the near post to give the Islanders an immediate lead.
Mumbai City FC got the chance to extend their lead in the fifth minute as they relentlessly looked to assert their dominance. Lallianzuala Chhangte and Vikram Partap Singh both screwed their headers wide, though Petr Kratky’s side could have easily been 3-0 up inside the opening five minutes.
However, they did not have to wait long to double their advantage, with Puipuia making it 2-0 in the eighth minute through brilliant ball play.
Charging through the middle, a passing move saw Vikram find Puipuia. The midfielder linked up brilliantly with Jorge Ortiz on the edge of the box before producing a calm finish, slotting the ball neatly into the bottom corner.
Mumbai City FC’s sustained pressure paid off once again as a horror own goal from Sajad made it 3-0 to the Islanders in the 25th minute.
A routine long ball up the field saw Vikram race past the backline and get a shot off on goal. Goalkeeper Padam Chettri made an initial save, but Sajad’s attempt to clear the rebound ended up in the back of his own net.
The Black and White Brigade looked like they were completely out of ideas after the visitors’ early onslaught. The subsequent drinks break seemed to reinvigorate Mohammedan SC, as they slowly grew into the game in the latter stages of the half.
Hira Mondal almost scored from a corner on the stroke of half-time, but the score line remained 3-0 at the end of the first half.
The second half started with the tempo of the match slowing down considerably. The match was happening at first gear and there was no switching of gears whatsoever, as Mumbai were happy retaining ball possession.
There were no real threats from Mohammedan SC as the Islanders kept bossing the game, though Thokchom Adison Singh did test TP Rehenesh with a powerful shot from range in the 59th minute.
Brandon spurned a great chance soon after, shooting straight at Chettri following a perfectly placed low cross from Vikram in the box. Substitutions followed, with both teams making multiple changes to their line-ups as the half wore on in an attempt to shift the momentum.
The Mohammedan goalkeeper had to be at his absolute best in the 68th minute, denying Chhangte in a one-on-one situation after substitute Noufal P.N. put him through.
The flow of the match was suddenly halted in the 72nd minute, as the game was paused due to thunderstorms and heavy rain for around an hour.
Both sides were patient after the game resumed. Out of nowhere, in the 73rd minute, Chhangte almost scored his fifth goal of the season. The forward unleashed a left-footed curling shot from a distance, but Chettri produced a brilliant save—not for the first time in the match—to tip the effort onto the crossbar for a corner.
Mumbai eventually got their fourth goal in the 79th minute when Brandon applied a perfect finish, expertly guiding the ball into the back of the net after being set up brilliantly by Noufal’s cutback from the left wing.
It looked like another goal was around the corner as the Islanders continued their scoring spree. Substitute Noufal was really close to getting their fifth in the 86th minute, but his right-footed effort went just above the post.
The referee’s final whistle confirmed a crucial three points for the visitors and officially sealed Mohammedan SC’s relegation fate.
Brief Scorecard :
Mumbai City FC – 4 (Sahil Panwar 1’, Zothanpuia 8’, Sajad Hussain Parray 25’ OG, Brandon Fernandes 79’)
Mohammedan SC – 0.
