India captain Sunil Chhetri led Bengaluru FC to a historic AFC Cup final by scripting an inspiring 3-1 win over defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim with his stunning double strike. Bengaluru made it to the final by virtue of superior aggregate goal difference of 4-2. The first leg in Malaysia ended in a 1-1 draw. It is a historic day for Indian football as no club from the country has ever made it to the
summit clash of the prestigious second-tier continental tournament. After the Malaysian team went ahead with Shafiq Rahim’s 11th minute goal, Chhetri struck the equaliser in the 41st minute and put the side ahead in the 67th minute. Bengaluru’s win was sealed when Spanish defender Juan Antonio Gonzalez Fernandez found the back of the net in the 75th minute.
Lyngdoh who had a dream night at the centre of the park also had a hand in the final goal which shut the defending champions out of the contest.
The significance of this achievement could be gauged by the fact that only two Indian football clubs – Dempo Sports Club of Goa and Kolkata giants East Bengal – had made it to the semi-finals of the tournament since its inception. Earlier, the Blues constantly applied pressure but Johor took the lead first up as Shafiq nodded home after BFC goalkeeper Amrinder parried the ball in the box.
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