Sudan emerge champions

Sudan edged past Iran 2-1 in a hard-fought encounter to lift the Symbiosis international football tournament title organised by the Pune District Football Association and held at the Station Workshop EME football ground on Tuesday.

Sudan edged past Iran 2-1 in a hard-fought encounter to lift the Symbiosis international football tournament title organised by the Pune District Football Association and held at the Station Workshop EME football ground on Tuesday.

In the first half,both teams played a defensive game and did not want to concede the opening goal. Neither defence was broken and the score was 0-0 at halftime.

The game came to life in the second half with Iran dominating the first ten minutes. Iran was attacking the opposition goal with purpose and looked good to score. They did so in the 42nd minute when they won a penalty kick for handball. Mehran Sadeshi made no mistake in converting the spot kick and gave his team the lead. Sudan responded well and were applying some pressure of their own on the opposition goal.

Then in the 48th minute,they won the second penalty of the game when their right-winger was adjudged to have been tripped in the box.

Kamalel Deen scored the penalty with ease and gave his team the much-needed equaliser.

The game then appeared to be drifting towards a penalty shoot-out when a howler from the Iranian goalkeeper cost then the game. Anas Alfatih floated a free kick into the box,the ball bounced unevenly over the keeper’s head and into the goal. Soon after,the referee blew his final whistle and the match ended 2-1.

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