Ludhiana (Punjab), Nov 23 Namdhari FC and Delhi FC settled for a goalless draw on the second day of the I-League 2024-25 season at the Namdhari Stadium, here on Saturday. Both teams got one point each for their efforts as they opened their campaigns in the new season.
Hosts Namdhari started the game on the front foot, dictating the pace and creating the first notable chance. In the 12th minute, Manvir Singh was all set to flick a cross from the right, but Delhi FC goalkeeper, Lalmuansanga, came up with a crucial save.
Shortly after this, Namdhari’s Brazilian recruit Vicente Mercedes unleashed a shot from the middle of the box, but it was blocked by Delhi’s resolute defence. The rebound fell to Vicente’s fellow Brazilian, Cledson Dasilva Degol, who fired wide of the target.
Namdhari kept the pressure on as Gursimrat Singh narrowly missed an opportunity to find the target with a header, but the ball deflected into the path of Lalmuansanga, who once again made an important stop. Two minutes later, Vicente nearly broke the deadlock after a neat setup from Degol, but his effort hit the near post.
Despite Namdhari’s dominance, Delhi FC grew into the game as the match progressed. However, both teams struggled to convert their chances in a game that lacked clinical finishing. In the 46th minute, Akashdeep Singh delivered a precise pass to Degol, whose flick narrowly missed the target.
The hosts suffered a setback in the 61st minute when Francis Addo was shown the red card for a clumsy challenge on Delhi’s Samir Binong, thus reducing Namdhari to 10 men.
With the numerical advantage in their favour, Delhi FC began to assert themselves and created several opportunities. Bali Gagandeep and substitute Stephane Binong, who is from Cameroon, combined well, but both squandered their chances, leaving their side frustrated.
In the dying moments, Delhi’s Himanshu Jhangra nearly found the target with a low-driven shot, but the near post came its way to deny the striker a goal. Despite Delhi’s late surge, Namdhari's defence held firm, ensuring the game ended in a stalemate.
Both teams will rue missed chances as they walked away with a point apiece. Namdhari’s bright start was overshadowed by their inability to finish, while Delhi FC failed to make the most of their second-half dominance.
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