By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Royal Wahingdoh FC’s hopes of making it to the I-League main round suffered another blow on Tuesday after the AIFF ruling that the team forfeit the three points it earned against ONGC for fielding four foreign players at the same time during the last minute of the match.
Following this decision, RWFC dropped down to fifth position in the points table with four points from equal number of matches. The call however, came as a double treat for ONGC who besides gaining three points also improved their goal difference drastically which could work to their advantage in case of a tight finish to the tournament.
Wahingdoh had defeated ONGC 4-1 on Friday last. However, controversy erupted when it was found out that Wahingdoh had fielded four foreign players instead of the permissible three as a delay tactic in the last minute of the match.
RWFC had initially fielded Beekay Bawar, Chencho and Kareem Nurrain and later brought in Perry S Kolie the fourth foreigner in the dying moments of the tie following which ONGC lodged a complaint with the AIFF.
“It was a mistake on our part,” RWFC coach Carlton Chapman had said after the match.
RWFC team owner Dominic Sutnga and coach Carlton Chapman were not available for comments on Tuesday.
Wahingdoh lost its last match 0-2 to Bhaichung Bhutia’s United Sikkim who top the standings.
With eight more matches to go, the team from Shillong would need restrategise its game plan to stay in contention for the all important I-League berth.
