Sumeet Passi heads in East Bengal’s second against Aizawl in the Super Cup in Manjeri on April 17, 2023.
| Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
East Bengal needed to win big, but despite taking a 2-0 lead within 22 minutes, it failed to finish the job against Aizawl FC on Monday. The 2-2 draw in Group B marked the end of the road for the ISL side from Kolkata in the Super Cup; Aizawl had already gone out of contention.
East Bengal went ahead in the 17th minute. The goal resulted from an excellent through ball by Cleiton Silva to the left flank. He found Naorem Mahesh Singh, who put the ball firmly past the Aizawl goalkeeper Vanlal Hriatpuia.
Five minutes later, Sumeet Passi doubled the lead for East Bengal, heading home a fine cross by V.P. Suhair from the right. But Aizawl pulled one back shortly before the interval, through H.K. Lalhruaitluanga off an assist from David Lalhlansanga.
Three minutes into the second half, Lalhlansanga put his own name on the scorers’ list, with a brilliant long-ranger to make it 2-2.
Meanwhile, further changes have been made to the schedule. The semifinals and the final will now kick off at 7 p.m. instead of 8.30 p.m.
The last two matches in Group D will have a simultaneous kick-off (8.30 p.m.): Mumbai City will face Chennaiyin FC here, while NorthEastern United will meet Churchill Brothers at Kozhikode.
The result: East Bengal 2 (Naorem Mahesh Singh 17, Sumeet Passi 22) drew with Aizawl FC 2 (H.K. Lalhruaitluanga 42, David Lalhlansanga 48).
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