Bangalore: Semboi Haokip and Deshorn Brown scored a hat-trick each as Indian Super League (ISL) champions Bengaluru FC (BFC) crushed Paro FC of Bhutan 9-1 in the second leg match to win 10-1 on aggregate and reach the final stage of the qualifying round of the AFC Cup here Wednesday.
BFC, who had won 1-0 in the first leg in Thimphu, toyed with their opponents from Bhutan in a goal-fest at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
This was BFC’s biggest margin of victory. They now face Maziya Sports and Recreation Club of Maldives in the two-legged play-offs round for a place in the group stage of the continent’s second tier club competition.
The first leg of the play-off will be played February 19 in Maldives while BFC will host the second leg February 26.
Haokip, who had also scored BFC’s lone goal in Thimphu, struck four times – in the sixth, 26th, 67th and 85th minutes – while Jamaican Brown was on target thrice (29th, 54th and 64th). The other two goals for BFC was scored by defender Juanan Gonzalez (14th) and Nili Perdomo (79th).
For Paro FC, former Blues winger Chencho Gyeltshen scored the consolation goal in the 16th minute.
Skipper Sunil Chhetri continued to be rested as a he’s carrying a muscle injury while nippy winger Udanta Singh came as a substitute late in the match.
After Suresh Wangjam had two shots at the Paro goal, the Blues did not have to wait for long as Haokip struck in the sixth minute. Erik Paartalu’s long ball fell to Haokip, whose shot was not be collected cleanly by the ‘keeper and the striker stabbed home at the second attempt.
In the 14th minute, defender Juanan rose highest to connect a Nili Perdomo corner kick into the top corner of the Paro FC net.
Two minutes later, Paro FC pulled one back and it was former Blues’ winger Chencho, who cut past Gursimrat Singh Gill and fired into the top corner of the Bengaluru net.
Haokip restored the two-goal margin in the 26th minute. Nili whipped in another cross from the right that Haokip towers high to nod past Tobgay.
BFC’s ascendency continued while Paro FC began to wilt under constant attack from the opposition. It was the turn of Jamaican Brown who put his name in the score sheet to make it 4-1 at the interval.
PTI
