Team Herald
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BAMBOLIM: Dempo Sports Club concluded their AIFF Super Cup 2025 campaign on a proud note, remaining unbeaten in Group A after a 1-1 draw against Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC, at the Athletic stadium, Bambolim, on Friday.
Heading into their final group fixture, the Golden Eagles needed a win margin of five goals or more to keep their faint qualification hopes alive, depending on results elsewhere. While the dream of reaching the semi-finals ultimately slipped away, the side displayed grit, discipline and consistency throughout the tournament, finishing with three hard-fought draws.
Speaking after full-time, Dempo coach Samir Naik said, “Overall, it was a good performance. To compete against top Indian teams, especially sides with players who have played in the World Cup, is a big achievement. In the second game, Mohun Bagan couldn’t open us up. Even in the first game, East Bengal had no clear chances; it was only when we lost focus that they scored. This game too, there were no openings. Credit to all the players — they kept working hard, maintained their shape well, stayed disciplined and gave everything on the pitch.”
The coach also highlighted how his side adapted to positional challenges throughout the competition. “The experience we got from competing in this tournament is invaluable. We didn’t have our normal stopper-backs, but we never felt their absence. I have full confidence that my players will continue to give their best in any position they play in. In this tournament, I played with one regular stopper-back, M. Ali, while Pruthvesh, who usually plays right-back, stepped in as a centre-back and did very well,” he added.
Dempo started strongly and took the lead in the 25th minute when Shubham Rawat produced a moment of brilliance, curling a stunning free-kick into the top corner against the run of play. However, Chennaiyin equalised just three minutes later in bizarre fashion when their goalkeeper Samik Mitra scored directly from a goal-kick – a rare moment that left the home crowd stunned.
The second half saw end-to-end action, with both sides creating chances but failing to find the breakthrough. Despite the draw, Dempo’s resilience and structure stood out once again, with skipper Ariston Costa marshalling the midfield and young talents such as Vieri Colaco and Knerkitalang Buam continuing to impress.
Reflecting on their campaign, the Golden Eagles can take pride in their performances against some of the country’s strongest teams – remaining unbeaten in the group stage and collecting three valuable points. They may not have beaten their opponents, but they ensured that nobody beat them either.
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East Bengal hold Mohun Bagan, qualify for Super Cup semis
MARGAO: East Bengal FC produced a disciplined defensive performance to hold arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant to a goal-less draw and qualify for the semifinals from Group A.
Both sides finished on six points, but Oscar Bruzon’s men advanced to the last-four stage owing to their superior goal difference, aided by the 4-0 thrashing of Chennaiyin FC on Tuesday.
