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Bengaluru FC lifted their maiden Federation CupI-League champions Bengaluru FC lifted their maiden Federation Cup title on Sunday defeating Dempo SC 2-1 in the final. The trophy returns to the city of Bengaluru after 37 years since its inception after ITI Bengaluru won the inaugural edition of the prestigious tournament. Bengaluru FC clinched the title with a standout performance throughout the tournament and remained unbeaten. There were several good performances from various players.We list the top five outstanding players in the Hero Federation Cup.
#5 John Johnson
Bengaluru FC’s star defender John Johnson who joined the club last season carried his superb form from the I-League into the Federation Cup too. His partnership with Curtis Osano has proved to be a grand success for the club.
Johnson contributed immensely to his club’s maiden Federation Cup triumph. He has been a pillar in Bengaluru’s defence and is also a very potent goal threat at set pieces. The champions conceded just four goals in the entire campaign, which speaks volumes of the English defender’s ability.
#4 Douhou Pierre
Douhou Pierre joined Salgaocar from Pune FC this season. After visiting Mahindra United and the Pune side, this hard working attacker from Ivory Coast joined Derrick Pereira’s side this season.
Douhou has been talismanic in the Salgaocar outfit this year. His inspiring performances helped the Goan side lift the prestigious Durand Cup as well as the Goa Pro League. In the Federation Cup, Douhou led the team from the front scoring four goals to guide his team to the semi-final. He was simply outstanding in the Salgaocar outfit and performed brilliantly.
#3 Sunil Chhetri
The Indian national team captain had won the AIFF’s Best Player of the Year award this year for a record fourth time in his career. His good form continued in the Federation Cup too as his team won their maiden title this year. He scored six goals for the club in the tournament in six matches and was the joint top scorer.
In Bengaluru FC, he has been assigned a different role of playing on the left flank. He scores goals, creates plenty of opportunities for his fellow forwards and can control the entire game single-handedly. He also scored against Dempo in the final which Bengaluru FC won 2-1.
#2 Tolgay Ozbey
This prolific Australian forward has been in India for quite some time now and is known for his swift, graceful movements and his impeccable scoring ability. The Australian scored six goals in the tournament in just 4 games after a shoulder injury ruled him out for the last two games of the group stage.
Tolgay scored a hat-trick against Sporting Clube de Goa, a brace against Salgaocar in the semi-final tie and a goal against Bengaluru FC in the final, which Dempo eventually lost. He is currently in sublime form and Dempo’s talisman in the strike force.
Tolgay was undoubtedly one of the best performers in this year’s Hero Federation Cup and his form will give Arthur Papas immense confidence in the upcoming I-League season.
#1 Romeo Fernandes
Romeo Fernandes is in the form of his life. After attracting several eyeballs in the Hero Indian Super League with his splendid performances for FC Goa, his form continued in the Hero Federation Cup for his parent club Dempo SC.
In this tournament, Dempo coach Arthur Papas played Romeo in a different role. He was played as a withdrawn striker behind Australian forward Tolgay Ozbey. The versatile midfielder yielded success for his club in the very first match of the tournament against heavyweights East Bengal when he scored the winning goal.
Romeo played each and every home game and scored in all matches taking his tally to 4 goals after the group stages, playing a vital role in his team’s unbeaten run. Not only did he score goals, he also created a number of chances for his strike partner Tolgay Ozbey who eventually became the top scorer of the tournament.
Romeo is most definitely the best find of Dempo in the last few years and he was also named the Hero of the tournament.
