#MourtadaFall

[sportsgr8]

12 Years Of Pall Of Gloom Lifted: East Bengal Win A Spine-chiller To Take Home Kalinga Super Cup

Kalinga Super Cup: East Bengal end 12 years of hurt, as they won their first silverware in as many years, defeating Odisha FC 3-2 after extra time at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, in the final of the Kalinga Super Cup, on Sunday.In a nail-biting finish that saw fortunes swing from one end to another for 120 minutes, both teams were reduced to 10 men at one point in time, but they fought like warriors till the end. If East Bengal had the last laugh, then home side Odisha FC would long be remembered for their indomitable spirit to battle it out till the end. The last time the Red and Golds won a major title at the national level was back in the 2012 Federation Cup, when they beat Dempo SC 3-2 after extra time at the Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri. It was a game of two halves, as Odisha took the lead through Diego Mauricio in the first half before Nandha Kumar’s strike and Saul Crespo’s penalty swung the pendulum East Bengal’s way. Odisha centre-back Mourtada Fall was also sent off for a second bookable offence, putting the advantage squarely at East Bengal’s feet. However, Odisha clawed back deep into injury time with an Ahmed Jahouh penalty before East Bengal midfielder Souvik Chakrabarti was given his marching orders in extra time. Cleiton Silva, however, made sure that none of that counted in the end, as he capitalised on a defensive error to score the winner. Despite trials and tribulations about football being a team game, one truth remains in the Kalinga Super Cup – you stop Ahmed Jahouh, and you stop Odisha FC. Souvik Chakrabarti, the man tasked with marking the Moroccan knew it, East Bengal head coach Carles Cuedrat knew it, the 10,121 fans at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar knew it. Odisha took the lead when Ahmed Jahouh sent in an accurate aerial ball from the half-way line into the East Bengal box, where Roy Krishna got into a duel with Borja Gonzalez. While the Odisha attacker lost the fight for the ball, his teammate Diego Mauricio was on hand to pounce on the ball and slam it home, minutes before the half-time break. East Bengal, however, were not to give in without a fight. Defender Lal Chungnunga and winger Mahesh Naorem, the two returnees from national team duty, replacing Mandar Rao Dessai and Javier Siverio, respectively. This gave a new dimension to the East Bengal attack, as the width that Mahesh provided the Red and Golds down the left allowed Nandha Kumar to drift into the centre from the right, a combination that worked wonders for them. Minutes after the restart, Mahesh was able to thread a ball through to Nandha behind the Odisha defence, as the latter rounded Odisha keeper Lalthuammawia Ralte and slotted home the equaliser. The momentum was firmly in East Bengal’s favour, and unlike their hosts, the Red and Golds capitalised on it. A penalty shout and 10 minutes later, East Bengal were finally rewarded for their second penalty appeal after Cleiton was brought down by Mourtada Fall, who was booked for his indiscretion. Saul Crespo sent Lalthuammawia the wrong way, putting the Kolkata giants on top. Odisha were to fall further, as their Senegalese centre-back received his second booking just five minutes after the previous one, this time for an elbow on Borja Gonzalez. Fall had to prematurely march off the field, leaving his side down to 10 men and Odisha’s best player, Jahouh, covering for him as a makeshift centre-back. Despite going down to 10 men, the Juggernauts left it till deep in injury time for Mauricio to break free behind the East Bengal defence, as he went tumbling to the earth at the slightest hint of a touch from an onrushing Gill. Jahouh, who was man-marked throughout the game, stepped up for his retribution. Unlike the rest of the game, he had ample time to see which way Gill would leap, and he lazily chipped it in through the centre. We would need another 30 minutes to decide this. As the two sides had to dig deep for the extra 30 minutes, Chakrabarti, who had been brilliant throughout the night, committed his second bookable offence, cancelling out his side’s numerical advantage. More importantly, in the context of the midfield battle, however, Jahouh was now unmarked, with more space and time. The Red and Golds showed more desire when it mattered, however. Six minutes into the second half of extra time, Cleiton pounced on a pass by Lalthuammawia to Narender Gahlot, as the latter was unsuccessful in controlling the ball. The East Bengal captain, although faced with an empty goal, did well to score from a tight angle. Read the full article

[sportsgr8]

AFC CUP 2023-24: Odisha FC See Off Bashundhara Kings To Reach Inter-zonal Semifinal Playoff

Mehedi Hasan Srabon: Odisha FC beat ten-man Bashundhara Kings 1-0 at the Kalinga stadium to advance to the Inter-Zone Semi-Final Playoff for the first time in their history. Mourtada Fall’s 61st minute header secured victory for Odisha after Asror Gafurov’s sending off in first half injury time, with the win taking Odisha onto 12 points to see them leapfrog the side from Bangladesh and finish the group phase in pole position. It was end-to-end stuff as Odisha FC started the game on a positive note, creating numerous chances throughout the right flank with Cy Goddard, Amey Ranawade, and Diego Mauricio. Carlos Delgado missed the first real goal-scoring opportunity in the 28th minute when he missed the free header inside the box. The visitors also got their chance in the first half, but Miguel Figueira failed to use the dangerous set-piece just behind Odisha FC’s box when his left-footed shot went far away from Amrinder Singh. The decisive moment took place when Asror Gafurov made a nasty challenge on Jahouh’s ankle in the additional minutes of the first half, which showed him a direct red card, causing his side to play with a man short. The scoreline was at the level at halftime, but Odisha FC managed to break the deadlock in the 61st minute, edging past Bashundhara Kings’ 18-year-old goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon. Ahmed Jahouh was pivotal again with his creative spark and sheer control of the game, which helped the hosts dominate the game. He was brilliant in corners, making numerous crossings that rattled the opponent’s defense several times. Jahouh got a chance in the 92nd minute of the game, where he could easily seal the game in Odisha FC’s favor, but his attempt missed the target by inches. In the second half, the biggest chance for the visitor came in the 55th minute, when their Brazilian striker Dori wasted an open chance as he failed to beat Amrinder in a one-on-one situation. The Bangladeshi side got their final chance in the dying moments of the game, just before the final whistle, when Robinho’s free-kick went far away from the goalpost. Odisha FC have showcased their character in every possible way, as they made a remarkable comeback in the group stage matches by winning the last four consecutive matches that amended their two opening match defeats. Monday night’s result has been the biggest success for Odisha FC in continental events. The Juggernauts will now proceed to the AFC Cup Inter-Zone Semi-Final Playoff, being the only Indian team to be qualified. Read the full article

[sportsgr8]

AFC CUP 2023-24: Odisha FC See Off Bashundhara Kings To Reach Inter-zonal Semifinal Playoff

Mehedi Hasan Srabon: Odisha FC beat ten-man Bashundhara Kings 1-0 at the Kalinga stadium to advance to the Inter-Zone Semi-Final Playoff for the first time in their history. Mourtada Fall’s 61st minute header secured victory for Odisha after Asror Gafurov’s sending off in first half injury time, with the win taking Odisha onto 12 points to see them leapfrog the side from Bangladesh and finish the group phase in pole position. It was end-to-end stuff as Odisha FC started the game on a positive note, creating numerous chances throughout the right flank with Cy Goddard, Amey Ranawade, and Diego Mauricio. Carlos Delgado missed the first real goal-scoring opportunity in the 28th minute when he missed the free header inside the box. The visitors also got their chance in the first half, but Miguel Figueira failed to use the dangerous set-piece just behind Odisha FC’s box when his left-footed shot went far away from Amrinder Singh. The decisive moment took place when Asror Gafurov made a nasty challenge on Jahouh’s ankle in the additional minutes of the first half, which showed him a direct red card, causing his side to play with a man short. The scoreline was at the level at halftime, but Odisha FC managed to break the deadlock in the 61st minute, edging past Bashundhara Kings’ 18-year-old goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon. Ahmed Jahouh was pivotal again with his creative spark and sheer control of the game, which helped the hosts dominate the game. He was brilliant in corners, making numerous crossings that rattled the opponent’s defense several times. Jahouh got a chance in the 92nd minute of the game, where he could easily seal the game in Odisha FC’s favor, but his attempt missed the target by inches. In the second half, the biggest chance for the visitor came in the 55th minute, when their Brazilian striker Dori wasted an open chance as he failed to beat Amrinder in a one-on-one situation. The Bangladeshi side got their final chance in the dying moments of the game, just before the final whistle, when Robinho’s free-kick went far away from the goalpost. Odisha FC have showcased their character in every possible way, as they made a remarkable comeback in the group stage matches by winning the last four consecutive matches that amended their two opening match defeats. Monday night’s result has been the biggest success for Odisha FC in continental events. The Juggernauts will now proceed to the AFC Cup Inter-Zone Semi-Final Playoff, being the only Indian team to be qualified. Read the full article