63rd CC Meet : Tejkumar double guides WAFA to 4-1 win over LYCC; SSU, KLASA FC confirm quarter final berths
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 18 2022: WAFA, Wangoi rode on Tejkumar's double to secure a 4-1 victory over LYCC, Chandel for first Group (E) stage win in the ongoing 63rd Sir Churachand Singh KCSI, CBE Memorial Football Tournament as SSU (Grp F) and KLASA FC (Grp G) emerge Group winners to book quarter final slots.

As AFC, Thoubal pulled out of the tournament and FC Lamjao (Group D) were awarded a walk over before WAFA Wangoi eased to a 4-1 win over the Chandel side after taking a slender 1-0 lead in the first half courtesy W Tejkumar's 35th minute strike at Artificial Turf Lamlong Thongkhong today.

63rd CC Meet

LYCC exerted a strong pressure on the Wangoi team after the restart and toiled until Armstrong scored the equaliser in the 72nd minute of the match.

WAFA, who suffered a 1-2 loss to KRFC, Sagang in the previous tie, had rested back in defending their lead for a major portion of the second half, but were compelled to come out of their half following the equaliser and took 86 minutes to retain the lead via Paominlun before Kh Pravananda solidified the lead with another strike the very next minute.

LYCC, who were taken aback by the two back to back goals and sadly got their condition further worsened with W Tejkumar scoring deep into the injury time giving no chance for any comeback.

Later in another Group E league match, Muvanlai Athletics, Kangpokpi who played out a 1-1 draw with KYVO, Kwasiphai in the previous encounter, beat KRFC, Sagang in a 7 goal thriller thanks to Mangtinsei brace.

It was a roller-coaster ride for the teams as KRFC enjoyed two goal advantage within 19 minutes before Muvanlai Athletics came back twice to make it 3-3 till half way.

It was Joel Kom who drew first blood by beating Muvanlai Athletics' custodian from the spot off a penalty in the 10th minute before M Ishaiya had his way deep into the rivals' area to double the advantage in the 19th minute.

The Kangpokpi team too had their first goal off a penalty as Thangkhanlen made no mistake in sending the ball into the KRFC net in the 21st minute to make it 1-2 .

KRFC, however, restored their two goal cushion in the 36th minute when Thanglenreng slammed home a powerful shot.

Undaunted by the uphill task in the hands, Muvanlai Athletics rallied back and pulled back two goals back to back through Sehgouthang (39') and Mangtinsei (40') to make it 3-3 at the stroke of the half time.

The game was wide open in the second half and the two sides traded runs in search of the breakthrough which Mangtinsei got in the 75th minute and handed Muvanlai Athletics a 4-3 win.

Meanwhile in today's first match at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, SSU who had won 5-2 against TRUGPU and 8-0 against Oriental Club in the previous Group F matches, played out a 2-2 draw with TRAU FC to maintain their unbeaten run and finish Group winners.

M Jetlee had handed TRAU FC a narrow 1-0 first half lead with a 26th minute strike but L Roshan had the gap closed for SSU in the 48th minute.

Bishal Robidas then helped TRAU FC regain the lead in the 65th minute only to be equalised yet again by A Nanao in the 69th minute.

Despite having the numerical superiority after 74th minutes with N Sushilkumar of TRAU having picked up a second yellow card and sent off, SSU failed to capitalise and eventually the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Latter in another Group F league match staged at the same venue, TRUGPU, Nambol capped their campaign with a 6-0 rout of Oriental Club, Phungyar for the second win in three matches as Haodamlian Vaiphei netted thrice and Ng Rakesh hit a double.

Haodamlian Vaiphei scored two of two first half goals for the Nambol outfit in the 16th and the 22nd minutes before completing his treble in the 74th minute.

Meanwhile Ng Rakesh scored his first in the 68th minute to make it 3-0 before tapping in another three minutes into the injury time.

Kaikhohen Haokip also found his name in the scoresheet for adding a goal in the 86th minute as Oriental Club were never seen in the contest today.

In the only Group G league match staged later, KLASA FC, Keinou rounded off the Group stage with a comfortable 4-0 rout of Mao FC for three of three wins.

Lunminlen took centre stage in this match as he scored a treble (40', 57', 75') including the opener in KLASA FC's big win while the other goal was scored by Sudhir Laitonjam in the 64th minute.