Dempo SC (Seigoumang Doungel, 45, Marcus Joseph, 87)
draw with
Namdhari FC (Akashdeep Singh, 65, Cledson Carvalho Dasilva, 83)
AIFF Media Team
MARGAO, GOA: It was a tale of two halves before Dempo SC and Namdhari FC settled for a hard-fought 2-2 draw at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
The match saw hosts Dempo SC taking the lead in the first half through Seigoumang Doungel only for Namdhari FC to rally back in the second half with goals from Akashdeep Singh and Cledson Carvalho Dasilva. However, a late equaliser by Dempo’s new signing Marcus Joseph meant both sides had to share the spoils.
The result left Namdhari in second place with 25 points from 14 matches. They are two points behind leaders Churchill Brothers. Dempo, on the other hand, would also rue their missed chances as they find themselves lingering in the eighth spot on the league table with 18 points from 14 games.
Capitalising on their home advantage, Dempo SC dominated the proceedings in the first half. Coached by former India international Samir Naik, the team built attacks from the back and their quick passing prevented Namdhari from establishing their usual controlled gameplay.
This also resulted in Dempo creating several chances but Juan Mera failed to make the most of them while Joseph’s shot hit the woodwork in the 40th minute. Dempo finally broke the deadlock at the stroke of half time. Pruthvesh Pednekar floated in a looping cross from the right. With Namdhari FC defence switching off momentarily, Doungel made an unchallenged run into the box to head home a wonderful goal.
The second half, though, saw a transformed Namdhari FC. They made some tactical changes by introducing fresh legs into the contest and it allowed the visitors to start dictating the pace of the game. Their midfielders began to weave passes together and pushed Dempo back into their own half.
The pressure soon told as Namdhari found their equaliser in the 65th minute. A beautifully orchestrated move from midfield saw the ball laid off to substitute Akashdeep Singh, who curled a stunning strike from the edge of the box into the top corner of the net.
Buoyed by their leveller, Namdhari continued to press and created more opportunities. While Jaskaranpreet Singh hit the post with a powerful right footer, David Mills was denied by Dempo goalkeeper Ashish Sibi in the 72nd minute.
Namdhari finally took the lead in the 83rd minute. A long ball was played into the box from the deep. Dempo SC defenders played a high line but Cledson beat the offside trap with a clever run before heading home his ninth goal of the tournament.
However, Dempo SC were not willing to concede defeat on their home turf. As the match neared its conclusion, they threw everything forward in search of an equaliser. Their persistence paid off in the 87th minute. Joseph took control of a long ball brilliantly before rounding off Namdhari goalkeeper Jaspreet Singh and deftly placed his shot between two diving defenders to score and salvage a point for his side on his Dempo debut.
