Aizawl FC suffers 1-3 defeat against New Radiant in AFC Cup

The three points secured from the game lifted New Radiant, champion of Maldives, to the topof Group E, with two wins from as many games.

The game belonged to New Radiant, as it scored in the 40th, 77th and 85th minute at the National Stadium.

India’s Aizawl FC suffered a 1-3 drubbing at the hands of New Radiant in its maiden group stage AFC Cup match, with inspirational skipper Ali Ashfaq’s hat-trick leading the Maldivian charge here on Wednesday.

The 2016-17 I-League winner, playing with 10 men for some part of the second half, found the day’s opener in the 33rd minute, but the game belonged to New Radiant, as star striker Ashfaq scored in the 40th, 77th and 85th minute at the National Stadium.

The three points secured from the game lifted New Radiant, champion of Maldives, to the topof Group E, with two wins from as many games.

READ: BFC eyes win to start AFC Cup group stage campaign on a high

Coming after an unimpressive I-League campaign, where it managed to stave off relegation, Aizawl drew first blood in the game when Lalram Hmunmawia, with his left foot, sent the ball to the left corner of the empty net for the Indian club’s first goal in the continental competition.

Ali Ashfaq’s exploits began with five minutes to go in the first half itself, when he slotted in a right-footer into the corner of the net from Abdulla’s cross from the right.

The game was played mostly in the midfield in the second half till Ashfaq found the net one more time. Aizawl’s task became tougher, when Hmunmawia was sent off for bringing down second-half substitute Guillem Marti in the 74th minute.

Hisam Saleem’s cross was then headed in by the 32-year-old Ashfaq, as the ball bounced off the ground, hit the bar, and entered the net before the Aizawl defence could react.

Ashfaq completed the hat-trick, when he tapped in with his left foot, after Ali Fasir headed the ball down for the striker inside the box, with five minutes to go.