DR Congo's Jacques Maghoma says 'Indian Super League can be the next MLS'
- Published
DR Congo and East Bengal's Jacques Maghoma (Photo: SC East Bengal Media)
East Bengal's DR Congo midfielder Jacques Maghoma has said that the Indian Super League (ISL) can emulate Major League Soccer (MLS) in the US.
On the back of five seasons with Birmingham City, Maghoma chose to ply his trade in India, coveting an experience in a different football culture.
The 33-year-old was also intrigued by the history, pedigree and forward planning of ISL newcomer East Bengal.
"The Indian Super League is only in the seventh season and you can already tell how much it has improved from when it first started," Maghoma told BBC Sport Africa.
"The stadiums, the pitches, the referees - how everything is set up, a lot of it has improved. It will be like Major League Soccer."
MLS launched in 1996 and over the past 25 years the US' topflight has blossomed with the proliferation of football-specific stadiums, the signings of marquee players and national TV contracts.
In terms of media coverage though the league is still battling for attention in a crowded field of traditional American sports.
"Who would have known that the MLS would have gone from what it was, maybe ten years ago, to what it is now?" says Maghoma.
"The ISL will grow and even grow bigger than the MLS. The league has the potential to do that and attract more and bigger players to come and play out here in the latter stages of their career."
Jacques Maghoma in action for Birmingham City
In the past, Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pires, Diego Forlan and Roberto Carlos were among the marquee players who, in the twilight of their careers, provided the league with star power.
Maghoma may not have the same reputation as those names but the 33-year-old has ample experience from his playing days in England, having featured for Burton, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City.
"In terms of quality, I wouldn't compare it to the UK, but there is still a lot of talent in India and in the ISL," explains Maghoma.
"At times, you 'd be surprised how good some players and some teams are, how they want to play football."
In at the deep end
The DR Congo international Maghoma did not have an easy start in India, arriving at his new club in the middle of October with the coronavirus pandemic raging across India.
He was thrown into the deep end, having to quarantine, train with his new colleagues and play the season's curtain raiser against Kolkata rivals ATK Mohun Bagan.
The derby, traditionally a frenzied encounter that stirs deep emotions in Bengal, went Bagan's way 2-0 behind closed doors in Goa because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"You play a derby more for the fans and for the club," says Maghoma.
"Bagan have been together as well for a longer period of time. Everyone in our club is pretty much new. We are still getting to know each other's strengths and weaknesses."
Tough start
The Kolkata franchise are bottom of the table with three defeats and a draw from their opening four matches and are yet to score a single goal.
The disappointing results have increased the pressure on team coach Robbie Fowler, who oversaw a shortened pre-season because of East Bengal's late entry into the ISL.
In October, Fowler signed a two-year deal with East Bengal following a successful coaching spell in the A-League with Brisbane Roar.
"The coach wants us to get the ball," says Maghoma.
"That is something we have been working on from day one. I have bought into that.
"You can already see the improvement from what he has done to this team and how much we are playing football and keeping possession.
"We are a possession-based team. We are dominating the ball in the majority of the games, but at the moment we are not having the luck."
No Spurs regrets
Maghoma understands that luck, happenstance and circumstance always play a pivotal role in football.
He grew up near the old stadium of Tottenham Hotspur White Hart Lane and graduated from the club's youth academy, allowing him a chance to train with Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Jermaine Defoe.
A dramatic injury curtailed his chances of playing first-team football with Spurs and almost ended his career before it had started.
"Martin Jol pulled me into his office when I was about 17, 18 and said that I was going to start my first game for the first team, a FA Cup match against Arsenal on Tuesday," explains Maghoma.
"That Friday, I went out to train and picked up a knee injury which sidelined me for almost two years. I wasn't meant to play football again, but here I am - I am still playing football."