Coimbatore: Refusing to be dwarfed by uncertainty around their future, the 2018-19 I-League twisted this way and that before Chennai City FC (CCFC) triumphed here Saturday to clinch the title in the manner befitting their dominant campaign, fulcrum of which was a sustained possession-based football.
Chennai came from behind and got the better of Minerva Punjab 3-1 the final day of the league. Chasing the leaders, travellers East Bengal finished second after beating Gokulam Kerala FC 2-1 in Kozhikode.
At the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, Roland Bilala had handed Minerva Punjab a shock lead in the third minute. But Pedro Manzi, one part of a deadly triumvirate that served Chennai City with distinction through their third season, converted from the spot to draw parity. Gaurav Bora’s brace in the 69th, 90+3) then sealed the title for the Akbar Nawas-coached side.
Chennai City ended on top of the league table with 43 points, one more than East Bengal who finished second in yet another photo finish. East Bengal’s bid to end their 15-year-old wait for the top-flight title continued even after they won their game against Gokulam Kerala. Manzi finished as the joint top-scorer of the league alongside Willis Plaza of Churchill Brothers with 21 goals.
For Chennai City FC, founded by two young football-loving owners based out of the southern metropolis, the triumph is nothing short of a dream. They also got on board Swiss football giants FC Basel as one of the stakeholders of the club marking a landmark year.
