The Knockout Rounds of the Hero U-17 Youth Cup are set to be held at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad, where 16 teams will fight it out for the top prize from January 23 onwards; the Final will be held on January 31.
Seven of the last eight I-League seasons have been decided on the final day, and it's no surprise to see a similar pattern evolving this time around too.
With no points from the first seven matches and the threat of relegation increasing with every passing week, Sudeva Delhi FC desperately required a quick turnaround to salvage their I-League season. In mid-December, Japanese head coach Atsushi Nakamura was sacked and in came Sankarlal Chakra
Theko Hriivei Carlos Pao ultimately gave Sudeva the lead with just four minutes of regulation time left. After scoring, Sudeva Delhi looked to run down the clock but was stunned by an equaliser in injury time. Faslurahaman sent a cross into the box, which was beautifully collected by Abiola
The hosts start as favourites by virtue of their 100 per cent win rate at home so far, which includes victories against Sudeva Delhi FC (3-0) and Rajasthan United FC (1-0) in their last two fixtures.
Two second-half goals by Abdoulaye Sane and Lamgoulen Hangshing helped Churchill win two matches in a row to take their points tally to eight from seven outings. Sudeva Delhi FC, on the other hand, are yet to pick up their first point after playing six matches.
The defending champions return back to their home turf after facing a series of disappointing results since their back-to-back wins at the start of the season.
The hosts will be eager to continue their winning run, having registered victories in their last two matches against Sudeva Delhi FC (3-1) and NEROCA FC (1-0) respectively. With a total of three wins and just one loss so far, the Desert Warriors sit in fourth place on the points table.
The fixture promises to be an exciting one as both teams head into the match high on momentum. The Desert Warriors are unbeaten in their last two matches, picking up a 3-1 win against Sudeva Delhi FC in their previous game. NEROCA registered three points in their last match, defeating Mumbai