Coutinho strikes down airmen

Salgoacar after lossing their opening match to FC Kochin by 2-3 earlier, today opened their account with three points from two outings. Air-India also remained on same three points from a win against Mahindra United.

For the Mumbaiites nothing went right. They failed to combine as team and let opponents forward line function freely. Visitors hopes on Manipuri duo of Bungo Singh and Tumbo Singh miserably failed. In the 15th minute, Bruno Coutinho’s header after touching the air India’s defender osborn D’ Souza went into the net.Earlier in the 5th minute Salgoacar’s Nigerian recruit Okoye Christian missed a sitter off a pass from Climax Lorence. The visitors came with a only good move in the first half in the 23rd minute but Salgoacar’s goalkeeper Ali Abubekar nicely saved a attempt from Khalid Jamil off a pass from Anthony Fernandes.

Salgoacar consolidated lead in the 25th minute through Dennis Cabral, whose full blooded shot found the net off a well measured pass from Bruno Coutinho. In the 45th minute Bruno scored his second goal and third goal for his side off a pass from Nigerian Christian.

Salgocar would have up by at least another three goals in the first half had not two of their tries by Bruno and Ghanian Tejani Ahmed crushed into the frame work and Christian also missed a couple of sitters.

After change of ends Air-India played with a renewed vigour and reduced the margin in the 51st minute through striker Anthony Fernandes off a pass from Tumbo Singh from the right flank 3-1. Salgoacar sealed the visitors fate putting a last nail on their coffin in the 73rd minute through substitute Alvito D’Cunha when Dharamjit Singh pass to Roque Pereira, he quickly switched the ball to Alvito, who from the top of the box unleashed a powerpacked shot which found the net 4-1.

sukhwinder steps down as coach
NEW DELHI: In a dramatic move, National coach Sukhwinder Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his post and All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Islam Ahmedov as the coach of the National team for the Millennium Cup. AIFF had retained Sukhwinder Singh as the Chief coach, after Priyaranjan Das Munshi was reelected president of the federation for the fourth term defeating Samir Thapar. Thapar is the president of the JCT club which is coached by Sukhwinder Singh.

AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco said in a statement that Sukhwinder Singh had expressed his inability to be with the Indian team due to his “commitments†with his club for the rovers cup and National league. He said AIFF has appointed Krishnaji Rao as the technical director and Brahmanand Shankwalker as goalkeeper coach.

— (UNI)