Yakubu scored a hattrick

New Delhi: Propelled by Nigerian power, Sporting Clube de Goa defeated Calcutta’s Ever-Ready Association 3-0 to advance to the semi-finals of the Durand Cup Football Tournament here on Monday.

The Federation Cup runners-up scored through Nigerian imports ? skipper Dudu Omagbemi and Chidi Edeh ? to set up a clash with Assam Rifles, Shillong in the last four stage match on Wednesday.

Earlier, a hattrick by Ghanaian Yusif Yakubu destroyed the semi-final aspirations of another Calcutta outfit, Mohammedan Sporting, who went down to Mahindra United, by an identical scoreline.

In the Sporting-Eveready match, Chidi opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he received a pass from the impressive midfielder Rajesh Meetei and dodged the attending defender with a quick turn before slotting the ball over custodian Sibram Dey, who had committed a bit too early.

The second was not long in coming. Welton Gomes took a firm shot from outside the box which rebounded off the upright creating confusion in the Ever-Ready defence. Edeh was the first to react and pushed the ball past Dey in the 20th minute.

Ever-Ready created an opening just before the break when Snehasish Chakraborty got behind the defence to send a good cross but there were no forwards to take advantage.

But the Goans were always the more dangerous side and Chidi continuously threatened to complete his hattrick. But it was his Dudu who headed in off a Meetei corner from the right in the 61st minute to deflate the team from the eastern metropolis.

They seemed to go through the motions from there on and their attackers lacked conviction to capitalise on the chances they got.

Earlier, Mahindra United, playing for pride sent Mohammedan Sporting to a crushing defeat.

The Mumbai outfit was quick out of the blocks when Yakubu intercepted a defensive clearance to run through the rival defence before chipping over goalkeeper Arindam Ghosh.

This was his first goal in India after his former club Churchill Brothers had refused to give a no objection certificate for his transfer to the Mumbai outfit. Yakubu had returned to his country, disappointed at the impasse.Mahindra’s Brazilian striker Jose Ramirez Barreto saw his header saved by the ’keeper. For Mohammedan Sporting, Nigerian striker Bowle Mputu got several chances but failed to convert even one of them.

In the second half, Wazid Ali missed a golden chance to equalise for Mohammedan Sporting but Yakubu, in counter-attack, latched on to a pass from Gabriel Umeh and slotted the ball home for Mahindra’s second goal in the 80th minute.

The Mohammedan Sporting defence was caught out again in the 84th minute when Yakubu took advantage of lack of communication between defenders Anit Kumar Ghosh and Surajit Chakraborty. But his shot was blocked by the goalie.

But the Nigerian was not to be denied his hattrick. In the 88th minute, Barreto and Umeh had a nice interplay before passing to Yakubu who coolly slotted the ball past Arindam to complete the tally.

With two Calcutta outfits out of the competition, East Bengal would try to register some Maidan representation in the last four when they take on JCT Mills, Phagwara on Tuesday for the right to face Army XI in the second semi-final on Thursday.