The Super Cup 2023 on Saturday saw an upset as I-League side NorthEast United FC defeated Indian Super League (ISL) Shield Winners Mumbai City FC 2-1 at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri.
Mumbai City FC are without their foreign recruits in this tournament and playing with an all-Indian side. While Colombian striker Wilmar Jordan Gil scored both goals for the winners, Lalengmawia Ralte, more commonly known as Apuia, was the lone marksman for Mumbai City.
The result threw Group D wide open, with three teams having a chance to qualify for the semi-finals. At the end of the second round, Chennaiyin FC have three points, and NorthEast United and Mumbai City have three points each. The Churchill Brothers have only one point and are out of the running for the knockouts.
The Guwahati side delivered a commendable first-half display, constantly putting pressure on the Islanders’ rather vulnerable defence. As expected, though, Des Buckingham’s men did find a couple of breakthroughs, but could not meet the end product.
In the fifth minute, Lallianzuala Chhangte cut inside and went for an ambitious shot from outside the box. But the winger’s effort bounced off the wrong side of the crossbar before going for a goal kick.
NorthEast United, however, immediately hit back in the seventh minute as Gani Ahmed Nigam went for a headed attempt from inside the box. But the midfielder’s effort went just wide off the target.
In the 25th minute, the Guwahati team had another opportunity when Wilmar Jordan Gil tactfully attempted a header from an incoming free-kick, but saw his effort denied by the woodwork.
NorthEast United kept playing on the counter-attack and came tantalisingly close to scoring on a few occasions. Eventually, in the 32nd minute, they capitalised on an error from Mumbai City’s Mehtab Singh who handled the ball inside the box, following a cross from Emil Benny.
The resultant penalty was slotted home coolly by Jordan, as NorthEast United went up 1-0.
Before half-time, Chhangte had an opportunity to pull the scores level, but the 24-year-old couldn’t get a proper connection and his effort from the top of the box was cleared out by the NorthEast United defence.
