PANAJI
Mohun Bagan Super Giant FC beat FC Goa 2-1 in a hotly-contested Durand Cup 2023 semifinal match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday.
Jason Cummings and Armando Sadiku scored the goals that helped the Mariners reach the Durand Cup final, while Noah Sadaoui netted once for the Gaurs.
It was FC Goa who got the first breakthrough in the 23rd minute when the Moroccan international beat the MBSG goalkeeper Vishal Kaith from a distance. Former Gaur Hugo Boumous made a rare error as he lost the ball cheaply for Sadaoui to capitalise on the mistake and pounce on the ball, before taking a shot from outside the penalty box that rattled the back of the net.
The turning point for the Mariners then happened in the 39th minute when Ashique Kuruniyan took a tumble that was wrongly adjudged for a foul inside the box, leading to a questionable penalty call. Cummings then converted from the spot as he sent Dheeraj Singh the wrong way to find the net and equalise for his team.
Following the change of ends, FC Goa kept knocking on Mohun Bagan’s doors as they launched several attacks one after another. In the 61st minute, however, Juan Ferrando’s boys scored against the run of play, taking advantage of a rare mistake by Sandesh Jhingan. The Indian international missed the ball in an attempt to intercept it, only for Sadiku to take his chance and go for a shot from outside the box that nestled into the near corner of the net.
Despite being a goal down, the Gaurs fought hard to get back into the clash - but in the end, it was not to be as they bowed out of the competition following the narrow 1-2 defeat. Mohun Bagan Super Giant, meanwhile, will face East Bengal in the final on September 3.
