Durand Cup 2024: Indian Army stuns Jamshedpur FC 3-2, secures quarterfinal spot

The Indian Army Football team, trailing for 70 minutes of the match, scored three goals in 13 minutes to sail into the knockouts.

The Armymen scored thrice in 14 minutes in the second half, to make its second consecutive Durand Cup quarters as Group D topper with an impressive 100% win record. | Photo Credit: Durand Cup Media

The Indian Army Football Team (FT) pulled off a stunning 3-2 comeback victory over Jamshedpur FC to book its place in the quarterfinals of Durand Cup 2024, here at the JRD Tata Sports Complex Stadium, here on Wednesday.

The Red Miners probably thought they had the game sealed, going into half-time 2-0 up thanks to goals from Spanish striker Javier Siverio.

However, the Armymen had other plans and scored thrice in 14 minutes in the second half, to make its second consecutive Durand Cup quarters as Group D topper with an impressive 100% win record.

JFC finished second with two wins from three games and six points to show. Now, it awaits the results of the other groups to see if it can sneak in as one of the two second-best sides in the six groups.

The home side was awarded a penalty when Shafeel fell all over Siverio inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot. The Spaniard made no mistake and converted calmly.

The Army tried a comeback in the first half itself but Shafeel’s powerful volley shook the bar and came back. Minutes later, off a corner in the third minute of added time, substitute Shubham Sarangi headed the ball down from the far post.

As the ball bounced in front of him, Aniket Jadhav executed a bicycle kick which landed in front of Siverio in front of goal and he shot home from close.

The Army first got one back in the 70th minute when substitute Bikash Thapa found Rahul Ramakrishnan’s run on the left with a through ball, which the latter drove forward with, to place a right-footer past Albino Gomes’ outstretched hands and into the bottom corner.

That charged the side up and Rahul then turned provider to complete the comeback as he broke in from the left again, but this time squared a pass in, which Alan Thapa finished with a blistering left-footer from just outside the six-yard box.

All hell then broke loose when Jamshedpur was dispossessed in its half and Shafeel ran on from the right and crossed for Alan, waiting just inside the top of the box in the middle.

The ball fell loose as Alan was charged by Doungel who had come in as a substitute and Bikash lurking around, stabbed a shot past Albino for the winner.