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Delhi FC won the inaugural Hero Futsal Club Championship title on Saturday. They beat Mohammedan Sporting Club 7-2 in the final at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
The two sides had a brilliant run en route to the final. While Delhi FC beat Odisha’s Mangala Club 12-7 in their semi-final tie, MSC won 2-0 against Bengaluru FC to seal a berth in the final.
Delhi FC captain Nikhil Mali was the star of the final as he netted five goals, taking his overall tally to 24 goals in the tournament. Mali finished with the distinction of scoring at least 3 goals in every match.
The team from the capital city dominated proceedings from the outset. Their first chance came in the opening minute when Mali tested his MSC counterpart Mihir Sawant with a powerful shot at his near post. Although Sawant managed to parry the ball away and delay an early deficit, Peka soon found the back of the net to put Delhi FC 1-0 up.
The first quarter of the match saw both teams press high. Delhi FC launched continuous attacks but the Kolkata side kept them at bay. Jayesh Sutar created an immediate impact for the Black Panthers as he kept Mali relatively quiet at one end and served as a launch pad for MSC’s attacks.
It was Sutar who created the first real chance for MSC in the game, when his shot took a deflection off an opposition defender. Delhi FC’s standout goalkeeper Scott Moraes, however, was up for the challenge as he reacted swiftly to nullify the threat.
MSC got back on level terms at the 12-minute mark. Sutar scored with an audacious chip from his own half when he saw Moraes was off his line. However, their joy didn’t last long as Mali struck his 1st goal of the game and 20th of the tournament to restore his side’s lead on the cusp of half-time.
The second-half began with both sides giving no space in attack. Delhi FC secured their insurance goal in the 26th minute when Rohit Mulchandani turned home Mali’s free-kick with a lethal finish.
It was only one-way traffic from there as Mali scored four consecutive goals and completed his 5th hat-trick in as many matches. MSC’s Snedden managed to get on the scoresheet once.
TOURNAMENT AWARDS:-
Fair Play Award: Mangala Club
Best Goalkeeper: Scott Moraes (Delhi FC)
Top Scorer: Nikhil Mali (Delhi FC)
Most Valuable Player: Nikhil Mali (Delhi FC)
