CHENNAI: While Aizawl FC were on their way to script a successful I-League title-charge last season, one foreign recruit who made his presence felt the most was Mahmoud Al-Amna.
Three seasons and three clubs in India later, the towering Syrian midfielder’s love-affair with the I-League has continued. His first season in 2015/16 with Sporting Clube de Goa ended in a fourth-place finish, following which came the eye-watering glory at Aizawl.
Currently, the 34-year-old is plying is trade with Kolkata giants East Bengal, and has already bagged a Calcutta Football League medal with the Red-and-Golds. He was once the most expensive footballer in his homeland, when in 2003, Aleppo’s Al Ittihad club signed him for US$ 50,000.
With the scourge of war engulfing Syria, Amna pursued the game away from the country, including India and Malaysia.
Reflecting on his Indian sojourn with fondness, Amna told Express, “The experience has been enriching. In Goa, they played a free-flowing and flamboyant style of football. In Aizawl, it was highly systematic and with Khalid Jamil, we learned that the scale of the club never matters. What matters is that the whole is bigger than any individual. I believe the result is in front of us — we won the league. Here at East Bengal, I am with the same coach and we have a great team.”
Instead of chasing a possible stint in the cash-rich Indian Super League, he followed his former Aizawl FC coach Jamil to East Bengal.
“I was signed by East Bengal as soon as last season’s I-League got over. East Bengal represents the legacy of Indian football and I immediately said yes. I am honoured to be a part of the club,” he reasoned. “I wanted to work with coach Jamil, and when he asked whether I would come along with him, it was the easiest decision to make.”
Explaining Jamil’s coaching approach, Amna said, “He is a man of less words and I don’t think he has changed after joining East Bengal. He still believes in discipline and working together, to ensure the team’s potential comes out.”
With the experience of winning the I-League already under his belt, the well-travelled midfielder is happy to give his inputs to his new teammates, and said, “I share my experiences from last season every now and then. The teammates receive it very well, which makes you come out of discomfort or any apprehension.”
He added the Aizawl adventure has a special place in his heart, saying, “Playing in Mizoram was an experience in itself. People wore our jerseys rather than any other international club, and came out in huge numbers to support us.
“After playing in various leagues, one memory that I will always cherish, even when I hang up my boots, is last year’s experience.”
Incidentally, Amna was part of Jamil’s East Bengal side that began this season with a 2-2 draw against Aizawl. Rating his former team’s display in that encounter, he said, “I believe they are a very good unit. They fight for every ball, know how to regulate the game’s pace, and are very good at set-pieces.”
“They have the potential to repeat what they did last season. But football is a funny game, so no one knows what we will see by the season’s end,” he concluded.
tathagata@newindianexpress.com