Defending champions Dempo Sports Club launched their Durand Cup campaign with a thumping 5-0 win over Indian Air Force XI at Dr Ambedkar Stadium here today. Dempo will now meet Air India in the quarter final on November 3. Air India eliminated Delhi’s last hope with a 3-1 win over New Delhi Heroes in the pre-quarter final tie today.

Delhi league champions Air Force XI, were always going to struggle against the impressive Dempo forward line bolstered further by inclusion of Chedi Edeh. And predictably they were all at sea once the onslaught commenced.

Two-times NFL top scorer Ranty Martins was back to things he does best -scoring goals. Dempo skipper wasted no time in latching onto a neat through ball from Edeh and put his team in lead through a deft tap in the right corner under the stretched hands of Air Force custodian A Bandhopadhyay in the sixth minute.

Edeh, who moved to Dempo from JCT this season, was in the thick of things yet again this time, feeding lanky Brazilian Roberto Silva ‘Beto’. He wrong footed one defender to unleash a ferocious left-footer which left Bandhopadhyay with little option but to see it sail into the net.

After conceding two goals in the first 20 minutes, Air Force tried to regroup and make a fight out of it, but could hardly get past the opposition third. Even in the absence of Mahesh Gawli, Clifford Miranda and Samir Naik, Dempo defence was more than equipped to counter any challenge that the Air Force team could offer.

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