Kokrajhar: Odisha FC (OFC) kicked off their campaign in the 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup with a dominant 5-0 victory over the BSF Football Team (BSF FT) in a Group E encounter held at the SAI Stadium. The emphatic win places Odisha FC at the top of the group standings, ahead of North East United FC on goal difference.
The match, which saw Moirangthem Givson Singh scoring twice and additional goals from Rahul Mukhi, Ashangbam Aphaoba Singh, and Roshan Panna in the second half, showcased the Kalinga Warriors’ prowess. All 43 matches of the tournament are broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network (Sony Ten2 HD) and livestreamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform.
Odisha FC Head Coach Amit Rana fielded a young lineup that included reserve players and experienced talents such as Lalliansanga Renthlei, Givson Singh, Aphaoba Singh, Subham Bhattacharya, and Narendra Naik. BSF FT Head Coach Gurjit Singh Atwal named an experienced starting lineup with Mohammed Aasif leading the defense.
The match began with quick attacks from Odisha FC, although both teams maintained a steady pace. Despite fielding their second team, Odisha FC played slightly better than BSF FT. The first real chance of the match came when BSF FT earned a free-kick 30 meters away, but the opportunity was wasted when a BSF FT player passed the ball behind instead of shooting.
Odisha FC capitalized on their dominance, with several near misses and a strong free-kick effort cleared by BSF FT goalkeeper Harpreet Singh. In the last quarter of the first half, BSF FT began finding dangerous positions, but Odisha FC remained poised to exploit any mistakes.
The second half saw Odisha FC continue their attacking momentum. Rahul Mukhi scored the first goal, followed by a brilliant run and finish by Aphaoba Singh to make it 2-0. Givson Singh then added a third goal, benefiting from a well-timed pass by Aphaoba.
BSF FT, rattled by the quick succession of goals, struggled to regain their footing. Odisha FC continued to press, and in the 79th minute, Roshan Panna scored from a corner kick, assisted by Givson Singh. Two minutes later, Givson Singh secured his brace, placing the ball perfectly in the back of the net.
Odisha FC saw out the remainder of the game without much trouble, securing all three points and marking a strong start to their Durand Cup campaign.