Kolkata, Aug 3 (PTI) The reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant kicked off the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over Bangladesh Army FT, in the Durand Cup opener here on Thursday.
The 132nd edition of the tournament marked the start of the Indian football season and the Mariners were in the groove straightway, pumping in three first-half goals to virtually seal the match.
India duo of Liston Colaco (14h) and Manvir Singh (29th) set the ball rolling, before Suhail Ahmad Bhat (39th), Lalrinliana Hnamte (59th) and Kiyan Nassiri (89th) completed the domination. Taison Singh passed the ball from the midfield for Ravi Rana to capitalise on it and then Colaco tapped the ball in.
Manvir then doubled the lead from a 29th-minute spotkick. It was Hnamte who was brought down inside the box and a penalty was awarded to Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
The 18-year-old Suhail then showed his composure, lobbing the ball over the Bangladesh Army goalkeeper with a superb 39th minute finish to give the home favourites a commanding lead.
The visiting team received another setback in the 45+2nd minute when Mohammad Minazur Rahman was sent off. He got his second yellow for his foul on Colaco for the BAFT to be reduced to 10 players.
Having showed his 360-degree turn to deliver an accurate cross to Suhail for the third goal, Colaco was in thick of action again for the fourth.
The India centre-forward delivered a low cross inside the BAFT box from a freekick for Hnamte, to make it 4-0 in the 58th minute.
The rising 22-year-old Nassiri then completed the rout, with Colaco once again playing a role.
It was Colaco’s powerful shot that the Bangladesh Army FT goalkeeper Ashraful Islam Rana failed to collect and Nassiri struck from the rebound to extend their lead.
Led by the 21-year-old centre back Sumit Rathi, Mohun Bagan fielded a second-string side without any foreigners and had the senior India duo of Manvir and Colaco.
The duo manned the attack in a 3-5-2 formation by Bastab Roy, the team’s designated coach for the Asia’s oldest tournament.
Source: PTI News
