Kickstart rally from two goals down in thrilling 2-2 draw

KSFA Media  

Kickstart FC pulled off another miracle as they came back again from 0-2 down to hold Chennaiyin FC to a 2-2 draw and shoot to the top of group D on the Safford Challenge Cup football tournament at the KSFA Stadium here on Sunday morning. Earlier, Sreenidhi Deccan FC defeated Kenkre FC 2-0 in group C.

In the later part of the day, Delhi FC came back from a goal down to register 2-1 win over Bengaluru FC. With back-to-back win, they seem to be a solid contender for the semi-final spot from Group C. In the final game of the day, ARA FC bouncing back from a defeat in their previous game thrashed Kerala United 5-0. 

A very compact and solid Chennaiyin FC took control of the match early on and even forged ahead in the very 16th  minute of the match.  After a one-two with Solaimalai, Givson Singh lobbed the ball into the box and skipper Senthamil dived forward to head it into the goal past goalkeeper Deepak. 

In trying to curb their attacking intent, Kickstart gave away a freekick to Chennaiyin just outside the box on the left flank. Givson Singh took the award and produced a low curling right footer which settled into the net beyond Deepak’s reach.

But Kickstart came back with some efforts of their own to no avail. In the second half, they changed their combinations and it paid rich dividends. Substitute Muzamiri was a thorn in the Chennai team’s defence and repeatedly broke through. He tacked goalkeeper Devansh Dabas once but failed to fill an untenanted net. However, he provided a fine through pass form Edwin Rosario to slot home a low left footer into the net. Once they had reduced the margin, it was Kickstart all over the opponent defence. In trying to check Muzamiri, stopper Buiswas Yumnan sent the ball rocketing into his own net for an own goal in the 82nd minute.

Both came close to snatching the winner but the defences held firm as they trooped out with a point each. Kickstart top the group with four points with a win and a draw.

Sreenidhi Deccan FC were the dominant lot all along and scored once in each half to emerge winners.

It was Mungong who scored the first goal in the 21st minute pushing home from close following a goalmouth melee. They played relaxed football and made it 2-0 in the 61st as Velmurugan took off on the right and slotted home past custodian Lovepreet Singh. Sreenidhi Deccan also topped group C with four points from one win and a draw while Kenkre have lost both games so far.

BFC play out 1-1 draw against Sreenidi Deccan, Chennaiyin beat ARA in Stafford Cup

KSFA Media 
Bengaluru FC Media 

Chennaiyin FC, Chennai, became the first team to log full points defeating the ARA FC 1-0 in a Group D match of the Stafford Challenge Cup 2023 football tournament on Friday. In another match in Group C, local hopefuls Bengaluru FC drew with Sreenidhi Deccan FC, Hyderabad, 1-1 after leading by an early goal.

In the first game today morning, Bengaluru FC did well to take the lead in the 15th minute when Harmanpreet Singh rushed in to tap home the ball following a melee inside the box.  Harmanpreet, Thoi Singh, and captain Biswa Darjee combined well to threaten the opponents, but their finishing let them down.

Sreenidhi Deccan worked the ball at a fast clip and looked like finding the equaliser any moment. It did come in the 68th minute when skipper Arunkumar managed to chip the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Lara as the ball landed into the net.

After being on level terms, it was the Deccan side which let BFC off the hook when skipper Biswa Darjee failed to beat Lara in a one to one situation. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Chennaiyin beat ARA 1-0

Keeping up a steady flow of attacks, Chennaiyin Fc carved out the ARA defence and opened up scoring chances, but their finishing let them down. This was evident when their skipper Senthamil failed to fill an untenanted net with goalkeeper Sangramjit Roy Coudhury out of his charge. But he made amends soon after when a lob from Rajat Roy hit the crossbar and rebounded back into play. Senthamil was close on hand to fill the net.

ARA boys tried their best to force the pace and attack from both flanks but the CFC defence did not yield. They were backed well by goalkeeper Mohanraj who rushed out time and again to bring timely saves.

Chennaiyin could have made it 2-0 but midfielder Sharon’s long chip hit the crossbar and rolled out. In the dying moments, substitute Zomuansanga failed to tap home a pass from Senthamil. Though they tried hard, the Ahmedabad boys failed to break the compact opponent defence and crashed to defeat.

I-League’s latest entrants Sreenidi Deccan FC launched in Visakhapatnam

AIFF Media 

Sreenidi Deccan Football Club (FC), the latest entrants into the Hero I-League this season, was launched on Wednesday (July 7, 2021), in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Sports Minister Shri Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao was the chief guest at the launch of the Visakhapatnam-based football club. Also present at the occasion were Meka Venkata Pratap Appa Rao, MLA, Nuzvid, AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das, AIFF Leagues CEO Mr. Sunando Dhar, and IAS Mr. Rama Mohan Rao.

Speaking at the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Sports Minister Shri M Srinivasa Rao remarked, “Mental and physical fitness is coming to Visakhapatnam in such a big way,” while also congratulating Sreenidi Deccan FC on the launch.

AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das stated, “We welcome Sreenidi Deccan FC to the Hero I-League, and it’s great to see a team from Vizag in the elite group, which would be having the best facilities.”

Sreenidhi will have their first experience of playing in the Hero I-League 2021-22 later this season. The 2021-22 edition of the Hero I-League is set to kick-off in December in Kolkata, the pandemic situation permitting.