34th Federation Cup: Dempo beat rivals Salgaocar to reach finals!

I-League champions Dempo SC won 2-0 against their Goan rivals and defending Fed Cup champions Salgaocar FC in the second semifinal of the 34th Federation Cup at the Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri to set-up a final showdown with East Bengal Club on Sunday. With Dempo's entry into the final, East Bengal are assured of an AFC Cup place next season.

It was an uneventful first session in which both sides were cautious, they didn't want to risk a mistake and it stayed goalless. Dempo had their best chance through Joaquim Abranches, while Salgaocar through Fulganco Cardozo but on both occasions the ball did not cross the line.

After the break the match opened-up and it was Joaquim Abranches who gave Dempo a 70th minute lead off a pass from substitute Romeo Fernandes. Nigerian striker Koko Sakibo doubled the lead six minutes from time to somewhat seal Dempo's victory and only a couple of minutes later Salgaocar defender Fulganco Cardozo was send-off for a second bookable offence on the night.

It ended 2-0 for Dempo SC and they will meet East Bengal Club in the final of the 34th Federation Cup on Sunday evening at 6.30 pm with the match to be telecast live on DD Sports.


MATCH STATS

Dempo SC 2-0 (0-0) Salgaocar FC - Goals: 1-0 Joaquim Abranches (70'), 2-0 Koko Sakibo (84')

Dempo SC
1-Subhasish Roy Chowdhury - 18-Valeriano Rebello, 28-Mahesh Gawli, 4-Creson Antao, 2-Debabrata Roy - 14-Anthony Pereira, 8-Climax Lawrence, 6-Peter Carvalho, 15-Clifford Miranda (25-Romeo Fernandes) - 11-Koko Sakibo (16-Samir Naik), 17-Joaquim Abranches

Salgaocar FC
Karanjit Singh - 2-Fulganco Cardozo, 20-Luciano Sabrosa, 19-Nicolau Colaco, 23-Rahul Kumar - 30-Francis Fernandes, 26-Randeep Singh (37-Gilbert Oliveira), 17-Quinton Norman Jacobs (9-Ángel Guirado Aldeguer), ??-Anthony D'Souza - 8-Milagres Gonsalves, 29-Sean Daniel Rooney

Referee
Ajit Meitei (Manipur)