Bangladesh Army Football Team hold 10-man Emami East Bengal

by Chittu Shetty August 6, 2023

The Bangladesh Army Football Team (BAFT) held a 10-man Emami East Bengal 2-2, after exciting last-few minutes in the Group A 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup game between the two teams here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).

In the second game of the first Sunday of the tournament, the Kolkata side went 2-0 up in the first half through goals from Saul Crespo and Siviero, but Shariar Emon first and then substitute Meraj Pradhan kept the visitors in contention after Nishu Kumar had received marching orders for an off the ball challenge in the 67^th minute.

With the Kolkata derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant coming up next, Emami East Bengal will rue their missed chances particularly in the first half and with a new look squad and coach will be under severe pressure to go through from the group which also has Roundglass Punjab FC in it.

Spaniard Javier Siverio, one of two Spaniards in Spanish gaffer Carles Cuadrat’s starting eleven, seemed to put the Red and Golds ahead just under five minutes into the game, off a wonderfully weighted Naorem Mahesh cross from the left flank, but he was booked eventually for handball.

Mahesh and Nandha Kumar took a lot of workload for their team, switching flanks, going down to defend and creating chances. That resulted in prolonged periods of domination for Emami East Bengal but the deadlock refused to be broken.

The goal finally came in the 34^th minute when Kamrul Islam pulled back Nishu Kumar inside the Bangladesh Army FT penalty box. The second Spanish player Saul Crespo made no mistake from the spot.

Then just before the break, Emami East Bengal thought they had an insurance second with Siverio heading in clean this time from a Harmanjot Khabra floater from the right.

The second half saw scrappy football for most parts and Emami East Bengal did get the better chances but failed to convert any. Then Nishu Kumar was sent-off and Bangladesh sensed a chance.

Two events then happened in the 88^th minute. Gursimrat Gill was replaced by Australian Jordan Elsey and Shariar Emon pulled one back for Bangladesh’s first goal of the tournament. It came off a Mehedi Hasan throw-in from the left flank, which took a couple of headers on the way to land in the path of Emon. The lanky forward struck with his left and the ball took a couple of bounces along the ground to beat keeper Prabhsukan Gill.

As the game went into added time, Emami East Bengal were tiring with 10 men and Bangladesh Army FT mounted an attack through Emon. He crossed to Mamun whose shot was deflected back by Gill. An onrushing Meraj pounced on the loose ball and shot back towards goal which Gill again managed to thwart feebly for one last time, before Meraj muscled it in, to secure a point for his team.

Sunday Matches

Match 07 of the 132^nd IndianOil Durand Cup will see Super Cup Champions Odisha FC take on the Indian Army Football Team in Kokrajhar’s SAI Stadium at 3.30 pm Indian Standard Team (IST).

Match 08 features Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their second Group A game against newly promoted ISL side Roundglass Punjab FC. Kick-off at Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan is at 6.00 pm IST. 

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