NEROCA plays out draw against Chennai City\, Real Kashmir match cancelled

NEROCA plays out draw against Chennai City, Real Kashmir match cancelled

While NEROCA climbed to ninth with the draw, the I-League match between Real Kashmir FC and TRAU FC was cancelled due to "unavailability of permission" from the local administration.

By: PTI | Updated: March 14, 2020 10:13:30 pm
NEROCA climbed a place to ninth in the table. (Source: I-League)

NEROCA FC played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Chennai City FC in an intense I-League match that was held behind closed doors at the Khuman Lumpak Stadium in Imphal on Saturday.

The hosts went ahead after Khanngam Horam (1st minute) found the net just 21 seconds after kick-off, registering the quickest goal of this season.

Mashoor Sheriff (21st) equalised for the visitors midway through the first half before Adolfo Miranda Araujo (45+2nd), known as Fito, nicked the lead just seconds before the break.

Philip Adjah (90th) saved the day for Neroca, converting a penalty in the added time to lay claim on a vital point for his side.

The hosts thus climbed a place to ninth with 19 points on the board, while Chennai remain at the seventh spot. NEROCA’s Jiteshwor Singh was adjudged to be the Hero of the Match.

SRINAGAR SEES MATCH CANCELLED

The I-League match between Real Kashmir FC and TRAU FC was cancelled on Saturday due to “unavailability of permission” from the local administration, the national football body said.

The match was significant as the battle for the second spot is getting closer with each round.

The Snow Leopards lie fourth in the league with 22 points from 15 games, while TRAU are fifth with the same number of points, but having played two games more.

“Due to the unavailability of requisite permissions from the state administration, the Hero I-League match between Real Kashmir and TRAU scheduled at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar was cancelled earlier today,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said.

The match was to be played behind closed doors owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed over 5000 lives globally.