Bagan offer life membership for Kahn

Mohun Bagan would confer honorary life membership on German goalkeeping great Oliver Kahn, who is slated to play his last professional match for Bayern Munich against the Kolkata giants on May 27.

The decision has been taken by the club executive committee, General Secretary Anjan Mitra told PTI in Kolkata on Friday.

"Kahn is a great player. And moreover, he will be playing his last match against us. So, we feel we should honour him with life membership," Mitra said.

Bagan had earlier honoured Brazilian football king Pele, who turned out for Cosmos against the club in 1977, in an identical way.

Cameroon forward Roger Milla was also given the club's life membership after he came here as part of a Cameroonian side to play some exhibition matches after the 1990 World Cup. Mitra said the details of the programme to felicitate Kahn were being worked out.

"It will be given either a day before or on the day of the match," he said.

The Bayern-Bagan exhibition clash is being organised by housing company Bengal Peerless, and would form the last leg of the German outfit's post-season tour to Asia.

Asked about AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi's statement that players attending a national camp ahead of the tour to the Maldives would not be released for the match, Mitra said "We will play with the players who are available. This is only an exhibition match. So we are not that bothered.

"We know whoever plays for us, the result will not be very favourable for us." He also ruled out taking players on lien from other clubs.