Late Bekay goal seals I-League place for RWFC * Club become third from Shillong in India’s top tier
SHILLONG: The hopes of the fans and the sheer determination of the team paid off on Friday night when Royal Wahingdoh FC stormed into next season’s I-League with a 3-2 victory over Bhawanipore FC, topping the Second Division.
In a thrilling last match in Aizawl, Wahingdoh rallied from a goal down to beat the Kolkatans, scoring through Jackichand Singh, Babatunde Badmus and Bekay Bawar, also becoming the third team from Shillong – after Shillong Lajong FC (2009) and Rangdajied United FC (2013) – to qualify for the I-League.
The victory ensured that the Royals topped the Second Division with 18 points, narrowly outdoing Bhawanipore, who have 17.
Both clubs entered what was effectively a final unbeaten in seven matches apiece and both went all out for victory.
A crowd of 3,000 was mainly made up of Wahingdoh supporters in Aizawl, while, back home, a victory celebration of fans took to the streets in Wahingdoh to celebrate the local team’s victory.
Announcements were also made over the public address system to congratulate the winning team, who have seen two rival clubs from the city make it to the I-League before them.
Despite knowing that a draw would see them through, Bhawanipore tried to seize the momentum and pressed right from the kick-off.
Nigerian striker Daniel Bidemi tested rival goalkeeper Nikhil Bernard with a low shot from just outside the box, but the custodian was equal to the task.
Wahingdoh slowly settled down and used their pace to catch their opponents on the wrong foot, the tireless Seityasen Singh staying at the heart of the action.
Seityasen, proving a bit too hot to handle for the Kolkata outfit, first sneaked past a defender but his shot went straight to the rival goalkeeper.
Minutes later, he turned provider for Bawar, but the latter’s effort ricocheted off one of his team mates before going out of play.
Bhawanipore took the lead almost immediately after that through Bidemi in the 23rd minute.
A fine move from the right saw Manjit Singh finding Bidemi in the clear. The Nigerian then made no mistake in slotting in from close range.
Wahingdoh, however, bounced back strongly and equalised through Jacki in the 37th minute.
The RWFC player sidestepped his marker before letting loose a venomous pile-driver from the top of the box and the teams went into the interval 1-1.
Changing over, veteran Babatunde gave the Royals the lead in the 57th minute.
Seityasen split open the rival defence with a measured pass and an ice-cool Babatude bulged the net.
Even as the celebrations continued, Bhawanipore played their last trump card as Jose Ramires Barreto, who retired with this game, substituted Alex Petroman Silva in the 58th minute.
Bhawanipore went all out for the equaliser and it came in the 74th minute as Bidemi leapt higher than all to head home Gurpreet Singh’s free-kick.
With sixteen minutes left, it seemed Bhawanipore would have the last laugh.
But the never say die attitude of the Wahingdoh boys and their relentless attacks pushed Bhawanipore on the back foot even if they managed to hold on for a while.
The crucial moment, however, arrived three minutes short of 90.
A deft feint from Bawar opened up space for him and he sent Bhawanipore goalie Debjit Majumdar the wrong way.
Wild celebrations followed after the final whistle, with RWFC being the only unbeaten side in the championship.
Wahingdoh coach Nandakumar Singh expressed his happiness after the thrillier, saying, “There was a lot of motivation from our well-wishers and we thank them.
“The boys gave everything and stuck to their guns until the very end. All credit goes to them. We have finally fulfilled the hunger of all our fans and players. Mizoram supporters were also highly encouraging and that was part of what drove us to our desire for a win.”
Watching the match was I-League CEO Sunando Dhar along with national team coach Wim Koevermans.
Dhar welcomed Wahingdoh into the premier league of the country.
“I congratulate Royal Wahingdoh and welcome them to the next edition of the Airtel I-League. At the same time I hope they continue the good work both on and off the field,” he was quoted as saying by the official I-League website.
Wahingdoh finished with five wins and three draws, victorious in all four of their Aizawl matches.
Bhawanipore came second, followed by Kalighat Milan Sangha, who beat United Sikkim 3-0 in the earlier Friday encounter. Hindustan FC rounded out the group.
The Royals did not lose a single game, not even in the preliminary stage in Jharkhand earlier in the year.
They are not the first team from Shillong – or even the North East – to qualify for the I-League, but Friday’s development is no less significant for the club and the region.
With three teams in I-League (subject to Lajong and Rangdajied retaining their places next season) Shillong has put its name firmly on the football map of India, joining Goa and Kolkata, who both have four teams in this season’s league.
After the celebrations, however, comes the toughest part of the journey, as newly-qualified teams have tended to struggle in their debut seasons.
But with the right set-up, players and sufficient funding, backed up by the fans, there is no limit to the extent to which Royal Wahingdoh can succeed.