Friday , March 29 2024

Army Green defeat NEROCA FC on penalties to lift 128th Durand Cup trophy!

Durand CupThe final of the 128th Durand Cup was played this evening with Second Division League side NEROCA FC taking on Army Green at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi with the Armymen winning the Durand Cup trophy 6-5 on penalties after a goalless encounter.

Army Green was the first Army side since 2005 to lift the trophy and they also received the record amount of Rs 4,5 million (45 lakhs) as prize money, while NEROCA received Rs 2 million (20 lakhs) as runners-up.

The final of the world’s third oldest football tournament saw a large crowd on Sunday evening attending with Army Green taking on the first ever finalist from Manipur in NEROCA.

Army had the better start into the game, but NEROCA with a number of former India internationals and I-League regulars improved as the match progressed. The best chance fell to former India striker Sushil Kumar Singh, whose header just went over in extratime.

The penalty shootout went into sudden death with Sushil and Govin Moirangthem Singh missing for NEROCA and Bikram Adhikari scored the sixth goal for Army Green to seal a memorable win.

Bikram Adhikari

About Arunava Chaudhuri

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