Durand Cup: Mohammedan SC Knock Out Defending Champions Gokulam Kerala to Reach Semi-finals
Local favorites
Mohammedan Sporting Club have reached the 130th Durand Cup semi-finals, winning
1-0 to knock out the defending champions Gokulam Kerala in front of a limited
capacity home crowd at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).
Once a Malabarian
but now firmly a Black Panther, it was Marcus Joseph who broke Gokulam hearts
by scoring the match-winner for Mohammedan in the 44th minute.
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Under head coach
Vincenzo Alberto Annese, Gokulam have built a reputation for being a free-scoring
team. They were the highest goal scorers in the group stage with 10 goals.
However against Mohammedan today, their midfield and attack appeared to be
toothless.
Chances were few
and far in-between, and the deadlock was broken in the 44th minute as a result
of a Mohammedan counter-attack. At the other end, Bouba had a goal flagged
offside only a minute earlier but as is often the nature of the game,
Trinidadian Joseph capped off an excellent move to hand the home side the
advantage.
Gokulam did very
little to alter the outcome in the second half but with the margin just being
one goal, the final few minutes were intense. Mohammedan did enough though, to
hold on and reach the 130th Durand Cup semi-finals.
They will now
face FC Bengaluru United in their semi-final tie on 27th September at the VYBK.
The I-League 2nd division side have received a bye to the last four, after
their quarter-final opponents Army Red Football Team pulled out of the
tournament owing to Covid cases.
