We want to win Subroto Cup: Afghanistan Team

New Delhi: The visiting Afghanistan side were given a rousing welcome by the handsome crowd at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium but there were no favours on the field.

The visitors (Estequlal High School, Kabul City, Afghanistan) were held to a 1-1 draw by Football Academy H.S, Sambalpur, Orissa in the Group VI encounter of the U-14 Subroto Cup Football tournament. The Afghan side took the lead in the seventh minute through Mohammed Mehdi but their opponent equalised in the 23rd minute through Mohan Parter and then held on. Captain Moh. Yousef said, “We want to win the tournament this time. There are few of us including me, we had come last year. We will try our best to play with that experience.” In the day’s other match, NCC Bengal thrashed Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya, Jharkhand 5-0 from Group four to seal their place in the U-14 quarterfinals of the 53rd Subroto Cup football tournament on Friday. The final score line was 5-0, however, a bit misleading and it could have been a very close encounter had the Jharkhand team taken their chances. But that was not to be, while the Bengal players made most of their opportunities. Only one team from each group advances to the last eight stage and three North East teams North Eastern English School, Khabeisoi, Lamlong, Manipur (Group 1), Greenwood Hr Sec School, Dimapur, Nagaland (Group 2) and Tumpui Middle School, Kolasib, Mizoram (Group 3) have also booked their quarterfinal berths a day before. On Friday, NCC opened their account in the seventh minute through Mithun Oran but were never in complete control as Jharkhand stepped up the pressure. However, they could not convert that pressure into goals and the Bengal side turned the tables with two goals at the end of the first half. Arup Roy doubled the lead in the 22nd minute and Oran added the third in added time. Arup Roy scored the fourth goal in the 45th and Pritam Mondal scored the fifth goal in the 49th minute to complete the score line. In the day’s other match, Meghalaya’s Govt Boys Higher Secondary School beat Govt. Boys Hr Sec School, Jashpur, Chhattisgarh in the Group 5 match 11-0. Result: Goup 6: Estequlal High School, Kabul City Afghanistan Team 1 ( Mohammed Mehdi 7) vs Football Academy H.S, Sambalpur, Orissa 1 ( Mohan Parter 23) Group4: NCC (Bengal) 5 ( Mithun Oran 7, 25+1; Arup Roy 22, 45; Pritam Mondal 49) bt Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya, Jharkhand 0 Group 5: Govt Boys Higher Secondary School, Jowai West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya (H Talang 2, 24, 33; Y Longvah 7, 18, 26, 29; W Mwirang 21; J Shylla 34, 35, 42) bt Govt. Boys Hr Sec School, Jashpur, Chhattisgarh 0.