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Local side Eagles FC finished their 35th Federation Cup sojourn on a high as they registered a 2-0 win over United SC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Monday afternoon. Nigerian striker Koko Sakibo was the winner as he scored a brace in the 12th and 86th minute.
Eelco Schattorie made as many as seven changes and his line-up was devoid of any foreign player with Eric Brown on the bench while Ranty Martins Soleye being unavailable to due to a back injury suffered in the last game against Pune FC.
Eagles FC coach Stanley Rozario was without the services of the suspended Charles Dzisah with Sudheesh Muttath replacing the Nigerian besides three other changes in the starting eleven.
Mohammed Rafique, who got his first start in the tournament, saw his first effort go wide from outside the six yard box in the sixth minute before United SC went down by a goal in the 12th minute. Koko Sakibo broke the offside trap to pick a long lob before the Nigerian sidestepped goalkeeper Jayanta Pal.
Winger Rajinder Kumar enforced the first save from Eagles FC goalkeeper Jagroop Singh in the 26th minute and should have done much better to get his shot on target from a very good position from inside the box three minutes later. United SC midfielder Baldeep Singh’s shot was palmed away by Jagroop in the last chance of the first half in the 36th minute as Stanley Rozario’s men went into the break with a one goal lead.
After the change of ends, the first chance fell to United SC, but Baldeep wasted a sitter as he sent his shot wide from inside the box after receiving a good cross by left back Dhanachandra Singh in the 63rd minute. In the 67th minute, Sakibo released substitute Sujil N.S., but Jayanta Pal came out in time to block the shot on target. In the 86th minute, Sakibo scored his second of the game as he chipped over Jayanta Pal to give his team a 2-0 lead which remained unchanged until the final whistle.
