Brazilian Rodrigo to play for Dempo in AFC Cup

Margao, March 07: Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Mendes D'Silva has been registered to play for Dempo Sports Club in place of Mboyo Iyomi for the AFC Cup tie against Syria's Al Maged on Tuesday at Nehru Stadium here.

Rodrigo is brother of Dempo's playmaker Roberto D'Silva.

"We will be playing with three foreigners instead of two who played against Al Sharjah in the semi-finals of the AFC Championship League," said Dempo coach Armando Colaco.

The inclusion of Rodrigo in the midfield will be a boost for us as we will have the option of deploying Roberto D'Silva in front along with Nigerian Ranty Martins, he said.

"With the team having lost the chance of defending the I-League title, we are concentrating on the match against Al Maged," Colaco said.

"We have to do our best and secure an early goal to put pressure on them and win the match."

The 32-member Syrian team, including 12 officials, arrived here yesterday.

READ MORE - Brazilian Rodrigo to play for Dempo in AFC Cup

Dempo face Mahindra in postponed tie

Mumbai, Jan 18: Reigning I-League champions Dempo SC take on former champions Mahindra United in the postponed 10th round match at the Cooperage ground in Mumbai on Monday.

The tie, originally scheduled on November 27 last, had to be put off indefinitely in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror strike the previous night and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had to reschedule the Phase I match during the course of Phase II.

The lengthy gap in the schedule of the I-League has given both the teams players time to recuperate from earlier injuries and, on the down side, pick up fresh ones too.

Dempo will miss their Congo striker Mboyo Iyomi who has a leg muscle injury. He is to be replaced in the forward line by Joaquim Abranches, according to the Goan teams coach Armando Colaco.

Colaco, talking after his team's practice session on Sunday afternoon, said that his team would be looking out to pick up all three points with a victory against Mahindra and boost their tally from the current 14 from nine games.

READ MORE - Dempo face Mahindra in postponed tie

Bagan beat Dempo 1-0, clinch Federation Cup

Kolkata, Dec 22 : Jose Ramirez Barreto scored the solitary goal late in the second-half to give Mohun Bagan a 1-0 win over 10-man Dempo as the green-and-maroon brigade clinched their 13th Federation Cup title here today.

Irrespective of the absence of their regular skipper Bhaichung Bhutia out due to knee ankle injury, Mohun Bagan dominated the final right from the start on a misty and cold evening at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake stadium.

Having missed a couple of chances and playing goalless in the first-half, Mohun Bagan tried their best after the changeover and PC Lalawmpuia almost scored immediately after the break but only to see his shot going out of target.

In the 67th minute, Lalawmpuia got a golden chance but only to see his shot saved as corner was given in favour of Mohun Bagan. Lal Kamal took the corner which looped into the Dempo box as Habibur Rahman Mondal headed it for Barreto to take the shot.

The Brazilian’s powerful strike hit the cross before going into the Dempo net as the boisterous home crowd began celebration bursting firecrackers.

The Barreto goal also avenged Mohun Bagan’s 0-2 loss to Dempo the last time the two teams met in a Federation Cup final in 2004.

Dempo looked for for an equaliser with the Goans charging up after the conceding the goal but in turn they were reduced to 10-man army with their ace striker Ranty booked twice after the Nigerian brought down Marcos Pereira in the 78th minute.

READ MORE - Bagan beat Dempo 1-0, clinch Federation Cup